The Winter Hero
by abrokencastiel
Summary: He wakes up in a bed in an abandoned house with no memory of who he is, only a note telling him to not be afraid and giving him a name: Jack Frost. Superhero AU. Probably come and write a better summary later. K , may change to T if I get paranoid enough
1. Wake Up, Jack Frost

**I don't own Rise of the Guardians or any characters.**

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><p>The moon fell softly into the room, the beams resting on the white sheets. A machine beeped next to the bed, tubes and wires connected to the still figure. The light slowly moved farther as the moon rose in the sky until it touched the pale hand. The boy didn't move.<p>

His hair was stark white, rivaling that of the sheets and off-setting his young face. Shallow even breaths moved his thin chest. His skin was almost translucent, blue veins standing out along the upturned wrist. In his hand was a piece of paper.

For a moment, all was quiet. Then the fingers twitched ever so slightly around the paper. The heart rate picked up on the machine. The boy sat up suddenly with a gasp, the wires pulling where they fit in the machine. His eyes flew open and searched the room. The brightness of their blue almost seemed to generate its own light. His ragged breathing slowly calmed and his gaze drifted to his hand where he clenched the paper. Slowly, he unfolded it, his hands shaky.

_Jack Frost_

_My time is short. I wish I could be here when you wake up, but fate has chosen differently._

_Do not be afraid._

_MiM_

The note seemed hastily scribbled, a sense of urgency that transferred in ink splotches. He frowned. Jack. That had to be his name. But who was MiM? He tried to drag up some memory, but nothing came. A sudden pain in his head distracted him and he pressed his hands against his temples, squeezing his eyes shut. After a moment the pain passed, replaced by a dull gnawing in his stomach. Jack kept a tight grip on the paper in his hand as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. A tug reminded him he was attached to the beeping machine and an IV bag, slowly dripping. He quickly removed the stuck on wires and grimaced as he pulled out the IV needle. The machine took up the dead tone with the lack of a heartbeat. A brief dizzy spell overtook him and his legs took a moment to remember how to support his weight as he stood.

How long had he been out?

A staff leaning against the wall caught his eyes and he made his way to it. It was taller than him and curled in a crook shape at the top. Jack reached out a hand, but hesitated a moment. There was something about it that drew him and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling.

"Come on, Jack," he mumbled to himself. "Don't be a wimp." With conviction he grabbed the staff. It immediately lit up with spirals of ice blue spreading from where he touched it, blinding him in the dark room. He dropped it in shock, stumbling back and falling to the floor. The staff lost its light as soon as he lost contact with it. Slowly he reached out and took hold of it again. The blue pulse lit up his pale skin as he brought it up to his face, balancing it expertly on fingertips. Bright flashes traveled up and down the blue veins of the staff extending down and then up over the crook and he watched mesmerized for a while, crouched on the floor in the simple white clothes he'd woken up in.

A far-off siren drew his attention and he rose slowly, using the staff to keep himself steady as he journeyed to the open window. The city was glowing about a few miles away. The lights of skyscrapers dimming the stars. Jack stuck his head out the window, leaning far enough he could look down from his second story height and then turned to look up at the moon. He grinned with teeth just as white as his hair softly blowing in the breeze. The siren still wailed in the distance.

Feeling more refreshed, Jack went looked back to the room. The light from his staff illuminated the room dimply. The machine had given up its flat-line beeping, simply displaying CRITICAL in large red letters. He moved past it toward the single door to the room. The hallway was pitch black and he gripped the staff tighter, holding it in front of him. The staff seemed to know its purpose, getting a bit brighter the tighter he held it.

"I'm not scared of the dark," Jack murmured, mainly because it was so quite he needed to hear something. He passed by a small group of closed doors, but kept going to the stairs. Again, he let the staff, his staff, lead the way. Carefully he descended the stairs, his bare feet padding lightly on the wood. He kept his ears alert and his eyes didn't blink as he scanned his limited line of sight, but nothing caught his attention.

The first room he entered was a family room of sorts. A dusty bookcase in the corner and an old armchair and couch next to a coffee table. A big picture window overlooked the city. He continued to the next room, a dining room with sparse furniture. The last room was the kitchen. His stomach growled of its own accord and startled him. Again, he questioned how long he'd been asleep.

His hand strayed to the sole light switch on the wall, and the yellow light illuminated the room from the single bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. He blinked rapidly as he tried to adjust to the much harsher light. His staff was carefully leaned against the counter before he went for the off white fridge. Jack hungrily jerked open the door to find . . .

Nothing.

Jack slumped and leaned his forehead against the frame, still staring at the fridge like something would magically appear. With a sigh he let the door closed and began searching the cabinets. He was about to lose hope when he found a box of granola bars shoved into the back of a drawer. "Score," he said. Every time he spoke his voice got a little stronger, cutting through the dark silence of the house. Two granola bars found their way into his hands, leaving four in the box. His instincts told him he should probably stick with only one and save the rest, but he couldn't resist. He was just too hungry. He gulped the first one down in seconds, and forced himself to slowly chew the other as he went back to observing his new toy. The body of the staff was black, sharply offsetting the light blue. It was a good few inches taller then him at the height of the crook, but it was light enough he could twirl it effortlessly. And for some reason, when he held it, he felt much safer.

After turning out the kitchen light, he made his way back to the living room where he collapsed on the couch. The bed upstairs seemed too far away and sleeping next to the CRITICAL machine only made him uneasy. Instead, he curled up with his glowing staff that dimmed to a softer glow, giving him just enough comfort to fall asleep.

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><p><strong>I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story or just end up deleting it later. Any thoughts? I was just looking for a superhero AU of the Guardians and couldn't find one (I didn't look super hard so if there is one out there that's good please let me know xD) so I thought I'd give it a shot.<strong>

**Read and Review!**

**~abrokencastiel**

**-It is really late (err, early) so I might come back and fix some stuff later. IDK. Looks good at the moment for a first chapter**


	2. Living Essentials

**ROTG is not mine.**

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><p>Sunlight from the big window greeted Jack in the morning much to his dismay. He groaned and rolled toward the inside of the couch, curling tighter in on himself. The motion caused his staff to fall off the edge of the couch. In an instant, he was up and carefully checking the object over for any damage.<p>

"Had me worried for a minute." A chuckle of relief escaped his lips breathlessly when he was satisfied there was no damage done. He laid back down on his back, letting the staff rest on top of him. "But you're pretty tough, aren't you?" The staff glowed lightly in his grasp. He stayed staring at the ceiling for a moment as he tried to decide if he could get back to sleep or not. Finally he gave up, getting to his feet which were much steadier than the night before.

He swung his staff up over his shoulder and found his way back to the kitchen for another granola bar. This time he controlled himself and only took one. In between bits he wandered around the kitchen, checking the drawers again and collection everything he found on the counter: a spoon, a chipped glass, a tangle of string, and the now half empty box of granola bars.

"Yes, all the essentials to living," he huffed. He dimly thought that maybe it wasn't a good thing he was talking to himself so much, but the dead silence in the house was creepy and thinking aloud helped keep him sane. Grabbing the glass, he turned on the sink and grimaced at the disgusting brown water that gushed out. He waited for the water to clear before catching some in the glass and taking an experimental sip. Slightly metallic, but drinkable. He downed the rest before he could think better of it.

Leaving the glass on the counter with his other supplies, Jack moved back toward the stairs and the unexplored upstairs. He quickly scaled the stairs and peered down the hall. It was much less creepy with the sunlight streaming in from the bedroom door he'd left open at the far end of the hall.

There were two doors on his right, one of which was the room he'd woken up in, and two on his left. He moved to the first door on his right, slowly easing it open, his staff at the ready. The room was a study with a single desk facing the door. Another bookcase like the one downstairs, only empty besides the layer of dust. He wandered to the desk, his staff tapping the bookcase as he passed it, startling a spider. The drawers yielded no secrets, only a pen and a pad of paper that matched the scrap he'd woken up with. He left them behind as he went to the next room across the hall. Another bedroom, this time with a large bed and a dresser. He left the room for later exploration with the promise of one last door to open. No longer worried about something lying in wait, Jack confidently swung open the door and found the bathroom.

Until that moment, he had only known his general skin color and the clothes he had been wearing. Now he was faced by a young man with snow white hair and wide blue eyes. The face in the mirror startled him and he almost bolted, thinking it was another person.

"That's me," he whispered, waving a hand at his reflection. He touched his tousled hair tentatively, plucking a strand so he could see the color. It was obviously his, but it just didn't seem right. He moved closer to the mirror and peered at himself closely. He had a dim sense of Déjà vu but he couldn't remember what he looked like before this moment. Not even the slightest hint. It was more than a little unnerving. His dark brows knit together as he studied his eyes. Something just didn't seem right. Suddenly it hit him. His eyes were glowing. Not brightly, but definitely emitting a bit of light like the staff he held. He blinked and leaned closer, letting the staff hook itself on the sink as he let it go. Without the staff, his eyes lost the glow.

A breath escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair and sat on the edge of the tub. "Okay. So. I touch the staff and it glows. And apparently I glow." He shook his head and let out a laugh. "This is crazy." He grinned as he picked his staff back up and headed for the door. He glanced back at the mirror one last time, his blue eyes flashing.

Jack returned to the room he woke up in for a moment, retrieving the piece of paper he had dropped on the floor when he'd found the staff. The new bedroom was next. He left the staff on the bed, pulling open the heavy curtains to let the light in.

Unlike the stark white sheets on the previous bed, this bed had nice blue comforter with matching pillow. Already he could feel a nap calling to him. He yawned as he began searching through the drawers of the dresser. Surprisingly, these drawers actually yielded useful objects. A few shirts, a couple pairs of pants, some underwear, and a blue hoodie. He grabbed an outfit and headed for the bathroom, leaving the staff since he wasn't sure how it reacted around water.

Like the faucet downstairs, the water took a minute to run clear in the shower. Jack waited patiently, returning to the mirror. Without the staff, there was nothing unusual. His eyes were a brilliant, normal blue. His skin was pale, just a shade or two darker than his hair. He just couldn't get over how new he looked.

Steam began to fog the mirror and he pulled himself away before the hot water ran out. Despite looking all over the bathroom, no bathing supplies were found. At least he could rinse off. He tugged the long sleeved white shirt he'd awoken in over his head and dropped it to the ground. For the second time, he found that he didn't know himself. His fingers traced the starburst scar that marred his left chest near his collarbone and extended halfway down his upper arm. Another scar stretched across his stomach diagonally. He quickly undressed the rest of the way and found twin raised scars traveling both his shins and one more in the center of his back near the bottom of his ribcage.

Only more questions he couldn't answer himself.

The shower was uncomfortably hot and he turned it down to a lukewarm temperature before stepping in. For an old house, the water pressure was surprisingly strong and he vigorously rubbed his hair in lieu of shampoo.

Jack stayed there for a while, enjoying the feeling of being at least semi-clean. It felt good to let his mind go blank, to only concentrate on the pounding water instead of the multitude of questions that were developing every moment he was awake. Eventually he turned off the water and reached for the old white shirt. There wasn't a towel and even though he'd been wearing the shirt, it was better than being wet.

The new clothes fit him reasonably well, just a little oversized. He continued vigorously rubbing his hair as he returned to the bedroom. His staff was right where he left it and the amount of relief he felt surprised him. Jack threw the wet shirt on one of the bed posts to dry and grabbed the staff and the hoodie before heading downstairs. The shower had woken him up and the outside sun was inviting.

The front door stuck at first, but it creaked open in the end. Jack stepped onto the small porch and breathed in the fresh air with a smile. He stepped into the springy overgrown grass and dug his toes in the dirt. The air was a bit chilly making him decide it was early fall and this was confirmed by the brittle leaves on the few trees in the yard. The house he'd woken up in was surrounded by a brick wall as high as the first story and an iron gate that opened onto a dirt road. Without much thought, Jack jogged over to one and easily swung himself up into the branches. He left his staff hooked over a lower branch as he climbed up higher. He got to a comfortable crook in the tree and sat with his back against the trunk, one leg propped up and the other swinging. Through the leaves he could see the skyscrapers of the city. They weren't too far away, he could probably walk there. The rest of the area outside the wall was a wood that eventually thinned out to country. He pulled out the granola bar he'd grabbed on his way out and slowly chewed it. Only two bars left now. He had to find more food soon, and the city seemed like the only option, but it could wait until after a nap. There was no rush. Jack swallowed the last bite and brushed his fingers off on his pants, letting his eyes drift closed.

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><p><strong>Rimsky-Korsakov this got a lot more attention than I expected!<strong>

**I guess I'll keep going. I'm gonna try and update weekly, but no promises. School comes first!**

**If I'm going too OOC please let me know, it's always my biggest concern and I'd rather hear right away so I can fix it before going on.**

**OH! And I think I need a better title. I'll try to think of one but if you have any ideas let me know :)**

**Thanks for reading, review if you can!**

**~abrokencastiel**


	3. Meet the Guardians

**I own nothing**

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><p>Nikolas St. North (aka North) was putting the final touches on the tiny horse figurine he was carving. Carefully, he nicked one final line in the flying tail and leaned back to look at his work. Perfect. Now it just needed painted. He easily could, but then his apprentice, Phil, would have no work to do tomorrow. Nikolai set the small figure aside with the dozen others like it, all patiently waiting for their colorful paint.<p>

The big man leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms and yawning. He stroked a hand over his large white beard, considering starting on yet another horse, but a beeping on his watch drew his attention. The emblem G of the Guardians let the face.

"This is North," he said as he pressed a small button on the device.

"Bunny here, we gotta robbery goin' down at First National." The voice over the intercom had an unmistakable Australian accent.

"Will be right over," North replied in his own thick accent. He pressed another button and ended the call. The leather chair creaked as he stood and strode toward the back of the workshop. He grasped the snow-globe located on the top shelf and pulled, causing the shelf to rotate and open up a secret stairwell. North quickly hurried through, the shelf swinging closed again after he passed through.

"PHIL!" he yelled up the stairs as he ascended. "READY MY COAT! THERE IS EMERGENCY!" He heard mumbles and rustling as well as a crash. He rounded the last curl and emerged into the room. Phil stood in the middle of a broken plate mess, the remains of his dinner scattered amidst the shards. In his hands he held a large red coat lined in dark fur. He did not look very happy.

"What is this mess?" North shook his head as Phil helped him into the coat. "I told you to be careful up here."

Phil spoke quickly in Russian, complaining that North had surprised him.

"You must always be on toes," the older man said, shaking a finger. "Never know when disaster might strike." He grabbed the matching dark fur hat Phil offered him and fit it snuggly on his head. North picked up his cutlasses from the nearby table. "I will be back soon. You clean up mess." He moved toward the exit, but paused to look back at Phil. "Also, horses downstairs need painted."

Phil again muttered a string of Russian, but North ignored him. There was no time to dawdle. His coat flew behind him as he threw open the door to the garage at the back. His motorcycle gleamed as the overhead lights flicked on, freshly polished by Phil earlier that day. He lovingly patted the sidecar as he passed it and mounted the bike, his blue eyes glinting with excitement beneath dark eyebrows. The door to the roof of his building opened as he revved the engine. Without hesitation he picked up speed, sped toward the ramp leading off the roof, and launched his bike into the air.

The bike fell as the machine flipped gears, turning the wheels sideways and ejecting a third prop wheel from the bottom of the sidecar. North stayed calm, actually enjoying the adrenaline before the vehicle caught itself and was hovering steadily. Quickly, he pointed the hover-bike in the direction of First National Bank and took off at full speed.

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><p>On the roof of First National Bank, the three other Guardians patiently waited for their last member. Tiana Williams (aka Tooth Fairy) sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the building, watching the scene folding out below her. As usual, the cops were stuck between a rock and a hard place with hostages and guns. The wind ruffled the feathers on her headdress and she reached up to make sure the mask was pulled securely down to nose. Her rapier clinked against the concrete and unitard caught the sunlight, flashing with iridescent blue, purple, and green, as she turned to look back at E. Aster Martin (aka Bunny). "He'll be here soon, don't worry."<p>

"What's he doin'? His hair?" His Australian accent was slightly muffled behind the gas mask he wore. He crossed his bare arms as he began to pace. The sharp black tattoos that covered his upper arms twitched with his tense muscles and the grenades strapped to his chest piece holster, each color coded, tinkled slightly with his steps.

Sanderson Mansnoozie (aka Sandman or Sandy) sighed silently. His golden hair matched the gold of his outfit and mask, even glittering like the clothing.

"Sandy gets me." Bunny moved his hands to rest on the top of the hood that covered his salt-and-pepper hair.

Tooth looked up when she heard the telltale roar of North's hover-bike, which everyone affectionately called the Sleigh. She smiled widely with perfect teeth. "Guess who's here!" She quickly stood and hopped down to rejoin Bunny and Sandy. "Told you it wouldn't be long."

"'Bout time," Bunny grunted. He lifted the rabbit-faced gasmask and scratched underneath it. "This mask is buggin' me. Let's get this over with."

North landed the bike, pressing a button to flip the wheels back to upright just before landing on the roof of the bank where everyone had gathered. "What did I miss?"

"We were waiting for you. They have hostages inside." Tooth rested her hand on the hilt of her rapier, tracing the intricate design.

"Standoff goin' down out front." Bunny motioned to the edge of the roof and the ground where the Silverrock Police Department had taken up the block.

A tug on North's jacket brought his attention to the last member of their group. Sandy pointed to the roof's access door. "Sandy has right idea," North nodded. "We should go in from top, take them by surprise."

Tooth nodded, her feathered head covering bouncing with the motion. "We thought so as well. Bunny's already rigged the door."

"What are we waiting for then?"

"You, mate," Bunny said, arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently.

"Well, I am here now! Let's go!"

Bunny rolled his eyes beneath his mask. "Ya better stand back."

North ushered the other two companions behind him before nodding at Bunny to go ahead and blow the door. The Australian pressed the button he held.

The carefully placed explosives blew the door out in a very controlled way that did no other damage to the building. Bunny lifted his mask to get a better look at his work and grinned. "Perfect."

"Good job, Bunny." North patted the smaller man on the back as he moved toward the smoking entrance.

The stairwell was dark, and North moved aside to let Sandy lead. The man took a moment to concentrate before holding out his hands which contained light emitting sand. "Nice work, Sandy."

Sandy looked back and smiled, remaining silent as always.

The quartet traveled quickly and quietly to the bottom of the stairwell without any sign of discovery. They arrived at the door to the ground floor.

"Wait." Bunny reached forward and stopped them from opening the door. "This seems way too easy, mate."

"It does." Tooth frowned. "Don't you think they would have heard the explosion?"

"I expect they are expecting us." North nodded. "We must be careful."

"We need a plan is what we need." Bunny again pulled up his mask, his green eyes caught Sandy's light. He frowned momentarily, thinking. Slowly, his frown changed to a grin. "I think we need to bring back the old Operation Blind Side."

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><p>After going over the plan one last time, Bunny and Sandy left the group and went back up to the second floor. They found an access vent and with a vertical jump Bunny launched himself up and punched it in. He hung there for a moment, looking around to make sure it was adequate.<p>

"Alright, Sandy." Bunny let himself fall back to the floor. "Let's get ya up there." He grabbed the little man under the arms and raised him up until he could grab onto the ledge himself.

The tow headed man wiggled in the vent and turned around to give Bunny a thumbs up before disappearing.

Bunny moved his mask to the top of his head. He leaned back against the wall with his bronzed arms crossed. He let his eyes close to concentrate more on his hearing. Sandy was too good at being quiet for Bunny to hear him in the vents, but he could hear the crooks moving around outside. One was on the second floor balcony that overlooked the main hall. The rest were muffled since they were down a level, but Bunny could easily tell that there were four others. A handful of sniffling and rapid heartbeats were the hostages. There were five—no, six. The last one was near the front door with one of the crooks. That would be more difficult. No doubt there would be a gun trained at the poor person.

A knocking in the vents alerted Bunny that it was time. He pulled his mask back down and silently eased the door open and located the man on the second floor. He was wearing an old man mask, his hair covered by a black beanie. He was focused on what was going on below, his semi-automatic ready in his hands. Bunny crouched low and quickly ran the short distance between them. The guy didn't even know what hit him when Bunny gave him a quick karate chop at his pressure point. He kicked the gun across the way in case the guy woke up. He peered over the edge. As he'd figured, there were four crooks. One was near the group of hostages, one near the front with a hostage for a shield, and a pair lying in wait for Tooth and North to exit the stairwell.

"Hey! You should just give up now! Put down the guns and maybe we'll let ya off easy." Immediately a barrage of bullets flew up at him and he crouched behind a pillar. "Guess they wanna fight." He grinned and grabbed a red colored grenade from his chest holster. "Fine with me." Bunny lobbed the grenade over the balcony, aiming for the pair. The sound of coughing and hacking was music to his ears.

Bunny used the distraction to launch himself over the balcony. He fell the twelve feet and rolled behind a nearby column just as North and Tooth burst their way in. They quickly moved to Bunny's side. The gassed pair of crooks had retreated to the middle of the room and their buddies.

"I'm gonna give ya one last chance to give up!" Bunny called.

"We've got hostages! You won't try anything."

"I certainly don't see anyone," Tooth chirped.

There was an audible gasp from the man who had been 'guarding' the hostages.

"Sounds like Sandy did good job." North smiled.

"We've still got one! Try anything else and I'll kill her!" the man with the hostage cried. He jerked the woman closer and she let out a cry between her sobs.

"I really don't like these guys," Tooth said as she pulled her rapier out of its scabbard.

Bunny unhooked his boomerang from its holster on his back. "Then let's cut 'em down to sides, shall we."

"Da." North nodded sharply and readied both of his blades for the attack.

The trio whipped out from their cover. Bunny launched his boomerang, expertly hitting the guy with the hostage in the back of the head. The masked man winced, relaxing his grip just enough on the woman for Tooth to quickly slip in and pull her away. Before the man could react, Tooth disarmed him with a quick cut to his hand. "It's not nice to use people for shields," she said with a level of coldness that clashed with her iridescent outfit.

"Dumb bi-" His words were cut off by the rapier in his face.

"Ah ah! No cursing. There are ladies present."

Across the room, North had moved up to the duo that had recently recovered from their gassing. He spun his swords on his hands expertly. "Who wants to go first?"

The crooks looked at each other quickly before aiming their guns at the large man.

"Ah yes, this will be a much fairer fight!" North laughed heartily and rushed the pair.

The bullets bounced off his imposing frame like gnats.

"Have you not heard the stories?" North sliced one gun in half with a mighty blow. "I am stronger than your average man! You should perhaps read paper more often." He bashed one of the men on the head, knocking him out cold. The other turned to run, but North caught him. "Going so soon?" He gave the man a bump on the head to match his friend.

Bunny had also dispatched of his opponent with a swift roundhouse to the head. He walked over and picked up his boomerang from the floor near Tooth. "That wasn't too bad, right Sandy?"

The golden man poked his head up from behind the teller booths with a grin. He pulled out a handful of golden dust and blew it out, revealing the hostages exactly where they had been the entire time now that the illusion was broken. The woman Tooth had saved quickly joined her other companions, sharing in hugs of relief.

North helped the now yawning golden man over the counter. "Good work, Sandy."

Sandy smiled tiredly. Using his sand always seemed to take it out of him.

Bunny suddenly twitched. "Tooth! Get down!" He launched himself at her and knocked her out of the way just before a rain of bullets would have gotten her.

The man up top had woken up from Bunny's knock out and had retrieved his gun. Bunny readied his boomerang to throw, but Sandy beat him to it, his whip zipping through the air and wrapping around the barrel of the gun. He jerked the gun out of the crooks surprised hands.

"We'll take care of him and the hostages. You go get other one," North ordered Tooth and Bunny.

The pair took off for the stairwell that Tooth's charge had used to escape during the distraction of his companion. Tooth was a green blur that quickly left Bunny in the dust. He didn't bother trying to get her to slow down. She wasn't one to stop once she got going.

Tooth caught up with the crook around floor five, almost running into him. Her sudden appearance obviously surprised him and he sent a wild haymaker her way. She easily ducked, his movements seeming to go in slow motion compared to her speed. Her own fist easily found his face and hit him hard enough to send his mask flying and more than a few teeth as well. Bunny finally caught up and surveyed the scene.

"And that's why they call you the Tooth Fairy."

Tooth smiled innocently. "He shouldn't have tried to punch me."

Bunny shook his head and bent to pick up the limp body. "Come on." He slung the guy over his shoulder as Tooth collected the teeth and the mask. "We should go meet up with the others before they get all the glory."

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><p><strong>I did not expect to write this that fast and this long!<strong>

**So how'd you like the introduction to the Guardians? I hope I got all their powers across and at least an idea of their outfits. I promise I'll delve into it more later**

**As last order of business, thanks to War Cry's for the suggested title of "The Winter Hero". I love it!**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**~abrokencastiel**

**P.S. I'm working on pictures for all the characters... maybe... its a WIP... and they probably won't be very good... but it might be something to be looking forward to..**


	4. The Big City

**I don't own ROTG.**

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><p>Jack woke sometime around noon. He stretched his arms and yawned broadly before rolling off the tree limb and lightly dropping to the ground. The distance didn't bother him at all. He grabbed his staff as he passed it and slung it over his shoulders.<p>

"Alright," he said softly as he turned toward the gate. "On to the city."

The gate wouldn't budge when he pulled on it or when he pushed. Frowning slightly, he stepped back to rethink his choices. There was only one obvious way.

Jack launched himself at the gate, catching the iron with his free hand and his feet. The staff stayed firmly in his hand and he used it to help pull him up to the top. He easily descended the other side and let himself drop to the ground with a roll. The movement came naturally and felt good, as did the freedom of no longer being surrounded by a gate. Jack's quick walk quickly changed to a light jog then a flat out sprint as he made his way down the abandoned road, laughing and swinging the staff out to hit branches as he went. The dirt road ended where it T'd with a well paved one. Though there were no cars on it at the moment, it seemed in relatively good condition. He kept just off the edge, close enough to the bushes and longer grass of the ditch that he could quickly hide in if a car came by.

Luckily, no such thing happened. The road remained quiet and Jack spent the time intermittently jogging and walking as he neared the city. It took a good hour for him to get there, but he didn't mind the walk. It was nice to stretch his legs and the stiffness he'd had since waking up was slowly disappearing. The road he was on led directly into the city via a rougher part of town. Quite a few windows were boarded up and only a few people were out. It dawned on Jack that everyone he saw was staring at him. His white hair, odd staff, and bare feet made him stand out a lot. He quickly pulled his hood over his hair and low over his eyes before ducking into an alley to get away from the stares. He hadn't seen shoes at the house and while that hadn't bothered him on the walk here, the trash in the alley was much more worrying. Glass glinted in more than a few spots as he tiptoed through the alley.

The alley ended and Jack took the next road to go deeper into the city. By pulling the sleeve of the hoodie down over his and, he limited the contact with his staff making it not glow as brightly and less conspicuous. Of course, people still stared at the shoeless youth carrying a large stick, but not as much as before.

Not many people were out, and Jack realized he had no concrete idea of what day it was. The best he could figure was that it was a weekday. No kids and very few adults. Everyone at school or work. A police siren distracted Jack from his observations and he turned to find the sound. It was coming from deeper in the city and without hesitation Jack took off running to find it.

Even though the streets were straight forward, Jack still had some trouble locating the source. The noise echoed off the buildings and left Jack disoriented. It didn't help the rest of the city was going about their normal business, and more than a few times Jack found himself sliding across the hood of a car that almost hit him. Finally he rounded a corner and found a large group of bystanders. Jack tried to see over all the heads, but there were too many for him to get a good look at what was going on. A quick scan of the area and he located a news van that was relatively close to the action. He quickly skirted the edge of the crowd and pushed his way toward the van amidst the objections of those he bumped. His staff made it easier to slip between the closely packed groups and soon his was at the base of the truck. He threw his staff on up and pulled himself up behind it, crouching low to try and keep a low profile.

A pretty dark-skinned woman was talking excitedly into a microphone near the truck and from what Jack could hear the bank was being held up by a group of gunmen who had hostages. She was about to launch into another description of events when a strange sound, like a mixture of helicopter blades and a motorcycle engine, filled the air and Jack looked up in time to see a large red vehicle deposit itself on the roof with its large red rider. A small figure he hadn't noticed before wearing iridescent green moved from where it had been sitting on the roof edge and disappeared, supposedly to greet the red man.

"With the arrival of North, it appears that the Guardians are now all here," the reporter was saying as the camera man tried to focus on the roof. "Only a matter of time now before the criminals are brought to justice."

Jack wanted to ask what she meant, but knew that if he drew attention to himself he would probably lose his prime seating arrangement so he stayed quiet. His eyes snapped back up to the roof at the muffled sound of an explosion and the swirls of smoke rising from the roof.

"It appears something has happened on the roof. Some sort of explosion." The reporter was obviously struggling to come up with a good explanation of what was going on. "There seems to be minimal damage and only a little bit of smoke." She kept repeating the same information in slightly different ways, trying to fill the awkward gap between actual developments.

Minutes passed with no movement. Jack peered at the glass doors of the bank and he could make out the shape of one of the crooks holding a hostage, a gun trained to her head. Jack's heart leapt with adrenaline, instinctively wanting to go help her. But before he could do something stupid, the sound of gunfire echoed from the bank. Shouts rose from the bystanders and the cops who were in front of the bank nervously crouched behind their barriers, aiming to try and find a shot through the tinted doors. It didn't last long, but there was no sign off who won.

More gunfire erupted, this time in bursts for agonizing moments. Finally it subsided and silence filled the air, except for the reporter who kept commenting. Slowly, the doors opened and the officers trained their guns on the exiting figure. It was the large man who had flown onto the roof. He had to duck to get out the door. He dropped the four bodies he was carrying and held up his hands and smiled at the crowd and the visibly relaxing cops.

"Is okay!" he called in a thick accent. "Everyone is fine." He stepped aside and a group of hostages exited the building, clinging to each other and crying from relief. Following them was a tiny man dressed in gold who waved at the surrounding crowd as he stood next to the Russian. He had an eye mask tied off around his head and what looked like gold ninja clothing on the rest of him. He didn't say a word.

The cops moved up and quickly arrested the unconscious criminals.

"Don't forget 'bout this one." A tanned muscular man wearing a creepy rabbit faced gasmask emerged and dumped a fifth man. His upper arms were decorated with tribal tattoos and accented by the tight black vest he wore. "Sorry he's a bit worse for wear. Tooth got a hold of him."

A petite woman in a green iridescent jumpsuit, the one he had spotted sitting on the roof ledge, shyly shrugged. Now that he could get a better look at her, Jack could see that there were more colors in the outfit, including little feathering along the arms and a feathered headdress. The upper portion of her face was covered by a mask that also appeared to be feathered.

"Once again," the reporter was saying. "The crisis has been dealt with by our Guardians. North, Sandman, Bunny, and the beautiful Tooth Fairy."

Jack looked back to the heroes. The Russian waving with both hands, the small gold man appearing to have nodded off where he stood, the rabbit standing with his arms crossed, and the girl standing on tiptoe as she waved at the crowd.

The reporter finished signing off and the camera man put down his camera with an audible sigh, rolling his shoulder after the weight had been removed. The pair turned to move back to the news truck and the man caught sight of Jack. "Hey! You! What are you doing? Get down!"

Jack quickly stood and lithely leaped to the ground over the heads of the pair. "Sorry!" he called with a smirk at their stunned faces. He cast one last glance at the Guardians before taking off into the crowd.

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><p><strong>Sorry this took so long to get up! But hey, now Jack's in the city. Excitement's sure to come XD<strong>

**Thanks to you all for following!**

**~abrokencastiel**


	5. Meeting Ms Myra

**I regret not owning these characters.**

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><p>No one chased Jack as he ran from the scene. The crowd parted easier than when he fought his way in, quite a few having left now that the action was over. Jack slipped into an alley and leaned against the wall, making sure his hood was still securely pulled over his hair.<p>

"Running from something?" An old woman with a grocery cart filled with knick knacks rolled her way into the alley past Jack.

"I was standing on top of a news team's van. Wanted to avoid them."

The woman nodded, her lips pursed. "The news is always out to get us. Don't trust them. Believe me, they're bad news." She stuck out a gloved hand. "Name's Myra."

Jack cocked his head to one side and smiled slightly. "Jack."

"Well, Jack, looks like you're needing some shoes. What are you doing running around barefoot?" Myra began rummaging around in her grocery cart. "You never know what you're going to step on out here." She fished out an old pair of canvas TOMS. She held them out to him. "Try these."

Jack slipped the pair on and wriggled his toes with a smile. "They're great."

Myra nodded, her lank grey hair swinging around her face. "Knew I picked those up for a reason. I don't need shoes. I've got a pair of sneakers. Last forever." She held up a foot to prove it. "I'll keep on the lookout for a pair for you."

"I'll be fine, I like these."

"Nonsense! Nice pair of sneakers would be much better. Especially since you're a boy. Boys are always running." Myra began moving down the alley and Jack moved to walk with her.

"Hey, Myra, what can you tell me about the Guardians?"

Myra looked at his with dull blue eyes. "You don't know about the Guardians?"

"I'm new here."

She shrugged. "They showed up few years ago. First that Russian, North, then Sandman. Bunny was next. Tooth Fairy is the newest. She's only been around a few months but already a favorite."

"So they just fight bad guys all the time?"

"I suppose that's their usual thing, but they also help out with community, I see them in the soup kitchen occasionally. The big guy, North, he runs a toy store. Real name's Nikolas. He's the only one that people know who he is. The rest keep their identities hush hush."

Jack took all the information in and nodded.

"From what I can tell," Myra continued. "They were all brought together by MiM."

Jack tripped over his own feet. The image of the note flashed through his mind. "MiM?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

The old woman nodded. "Man in Moon. He was the original hero." She smiled a faraway smile. "I remember him back when I was young. Always helping. Flying around like a real hero. Crime didn't know what to do with him. He kept it simple." She had paused as she reminisced, which Jack was grateful for. He needed a moment to regain his bearings. "But no one's seen him recently. He passed the torch onto North." She frowned as she thought. "He must be getting old if I remember him from way back when." She barked a harsh laugh and began pushing her cart again. She made it a few feet before noticing the teen hadn't moved. "Boy? You okay?"

Jack snapped his blue eyes to her and grinned mechanically. "Yeah, yeah. Fine."

Myra frowned. "You look a little pale to me."

His grin changed to more of a natural one and he took a shaky step forward to join her, his staff across his shoulders. "I'm naturally this way. Even got the hair to match." He moved his hood down to reveal his white hair.

She grinned back, her mouth missing quite a few teeth. "Almost makes you look older than me!" She laughed her barking laugh again.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked, replacing his hood.

"Well, I'm going to my station. I don't know where you're going."

"I don't know where I'm going either."

"Don't you have a family you need to be getting back to? I doubt a sprout like you is lacking in that department."

"What? Oh, uh, yeah. But they won't be missing me for a while." Jack kicked a can and sent it flying down the remainder of the alley.

"Hmm." Myra didn't pry. The pair crossed the next street in silence and took another alley. At the end was a door with planks boarding it up. "This is my stop." Myra moved to the side of her cart and started to dig through it again while Jack examined the door. In the wall above was written SUBWAY by colored chalk.

"Is this really a subway entrance?" Jack tried looking through the boards to no avail.

"More like an old Subway as in the food place. Got closed down a few months back because of faulty pipes or something. No one had the money to fix it up so it's home sweet home now." She finished fishing in her cart and pulled out a crow bar. "Sometimes they lock the door while I'm away." She set to work pulling the boards off with a surprising amount of strength for her age until the door was clear. Jack helped her push her cart through the door. "Thank you, boy. Now get on back to where ever it is you came from. People must be missing you." Jack turned to leave but she caught him by the sleeve. "If you ever need anything, I'll be here." She patted his arm and nodded before closing the door.

Jack continued walking down the alley, his hands shaking slightly. He had an answer. Or at least part of an answer. And a lead. If he could just talk to the Guardians, maybe they could help him. He just had to find them. He suddenly felt claustrophobic. The walls of the alley too high and close. Too confining.

He began to run toward the end of the alley, but stopped when he saw a fire escape. For some reason it seemed like a much better option. Running at full tilt, he launched himself up at the lowest rung and grabbed it with one hand, dangling until the ladder clattered down. He quickly ascended and sprinted up the flights of stairs. The top level was the issue. His building anxiety pushed him to get to the roof, but the fire escape's landing was on the floor below. He paced the length of the landing a few times trying to decide if it was worth breaking into an apartment to get inside. No, he couldn't do that. With a determined look, he removed his shoes and stuffed them into the pocket of his hoodie. He gripped his staff tight as he climbed onto the railing of the escape.

His toes instinctively wrapped themselves around the railing as he slowly stood up straight, making sure to maintain his balance. His heart beat rapidly, but his breathing was steady. He took up a trapeze artist stance as he moved into a better position to grab the roof. His staff gave him the extra length he needed to reach and he hooked it over the ledge. Quickly he pulled himself up the length of his staff and swung his legs up. He stood with a grin, the adrenaline coursing through his body.

The sun was almost setting, but not quite. It peeked from behind buildings and Jack positioned himself to catch the rays, letting one leg swing off the edge of the roof, the other knee bent so his arm could rest on top of it. Finally, he could breath. The open air was relaxing and he let the wind blow off his hood.

MiM. Man in Moon. He was the one who left Jack the note. And was the one who had apparently brought the Guardians together. If that was true, then they must have met him. Must have known what his plan was. Maybe they even knew who Jack was. He just had to find them and ask them. It would be simple.

Jack stayed sitting on the roof until the sun had crept lower in the sky, touching the ground and turning the sky different shades of pink and purple. He stretched as he stood and returned to where the fire escape was to make his exit. The roof access to the building was locked tight. Employing the same tactics as he had to gain access to the roof, Jack lowered himself using his staff until he felt the railing beneath his toes. He was just removing his staff from the ledge when the window nearest him flew open, causing him to flinch and lose his balance.

For a few terrifying seconds, Jack pin-wheeled on the edge, the woman who had opened the window looking at him with terrified eyes. Her mouth formed into a scream as Jack tumbled backward over the edge, plummeting toward the ground.

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><p><strong>Hey guys!<strong>

**So here's the next chapter for your enjoyment in a timely manner! Hopefully all this set up isn't too boring. I think it's necessary for future chapters. **

**Also I'm doing this on my mobile phone by some grace of God so hopefully everything came out ok haha!**

**Thanks for all the follows and reviews! You all are wonderful!**

**~abrokencastiel**


	6. Flying and Falling, with Style

**YO! I don't own ROTG or it's characters. For shizzle. **SPECIAL NOTE IN END NOTE****

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><p>The only things Jack could hear was the blood rushing in his ears and his own breathing. He twisted, seeing the ground rushing at him from fifteen stories below.<p>

How strange to know he was going to die. It was the most certain thing he'd known since waking up.

Ten floors left.

Both hands tightly grasped the staff and he instinctively held it out in front of him. His eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the inevitable impact only five stories away.

A bright blue light flashed through his eyelids and his body was whipped around as his arms were jerked upward. The staff must have caught on something. Jack cracked open an eye and peered at the ground. It was about six feet away. His gaze shifted upward to his staff.

It was floating in midair, simply suspended. For a few seconds, Jack didn't move, afraid that if he did the illusion would break and he would continue to fall. Above him, the woman had made her way onto the fire escape and was staring down, a phone to her ear. Jack cautiously pulled himself up. The staff stayed rooted in midair. Carefully, he swung a leg over and let his body lie along the length of the staff. His heart was calming down. He eased into a sitting position, his hands still with a death grip on the staff.

"Calm down," he told himself. The staff dropped an inch and his balance faltered, causing him to swing under, his legs and hands holding the staff. "Whoa!" Jack took a moment then repositioned himself to a sitting position again. He frowned, concentrating. A thought crossed him and he held on tight before again saying down. As he expected the staff fell another few inches.

Jack's face split into a wide grin. "Forward." The staff flew forward. He tried a few more directions before finally declaring "Up!" The staff flew upwards, past the woman who had frozen mid-conversation with 911. He flashed a grin at her as he flew by.

The city spread out under him as he rose and, strangely, the higher he got the more comfortable he felt. When he reached a good height, he confidently said stop and the staff halted, almost too quickly. From his vantage point he could see the bank, the neighborhood he's entered, and even the countryside he'd walked through.

"Forward!" Jack cried and laughed loudly as he zoomed forward. Without much thought he shifted his weight and the staff bent into a curve around a building. He didn't need to say a word to make it climb higher and zoom toward the tallest building of the city, spiraling around it faster and faster and faster. He shot past the top spear, rising through the mist of a cloud. He was going up vertically, plastered to the staff. The staff slowed and he let the climb end, let the staff begin to fall back to earth. He released one hand and held the staff to one side, falling backwards with arms and legs spread. The wind rushed through his hair but this fall was wonderful, not the terrifying plunge from earlier.

After a few seconds, he flipped over and watched the nearing ground. He tilted his body and moved a bit to the side, giving himself a wider berth around the skyscraper. He pushed the staff back under him and quickly took back off into the sky. This time he stopped at the top of the skyscraper.

"Wow." He laughed and let himself sink down on the roof. "Well, that's. . ." He laughed instead of trying to describe the feeling. He twirled the staff around his hand and watched the spinning blue light. He flipped it up and caught it perfectly back in his hand. The air was crisp and clear, perfect.

He checked off what he knew with his fingers.

1. His name was Jack Frost.

2. His staff glowed.

3. His eyes glowed.

4. He was covered in scars.

5. Man in the Moon had something to do with his past.

6. The Guardians knew Man in the Moon.

7. He could fly.

Quite a few things to learn in less than forty-eight hours. True, he didn't know why any of that was true, but he could accept that for the moment. There was hope and leads. If he could just find the Guardians. Myra had said North owned a toy store somewhere in the city. It shouldn't be too hard to find. And he could keep his eye out for crime. No doubt the Guardians would show up at some point.

He stood and glanced at the setting sun. He had at least an hour, plenty of time to do at least a little recon. He slipped his shoes back on. Holding the staff tight, he stepped off the ledge and let himself get caught by the staff after a few stories. The buildings were straight forward and he maintained a grid pattern search as he flew. He didn't know what this toy store would look like, but he hoped it would stand out in some way. He had to keep low to the rooftops to stay out of sight. He hadn't been exactly sly before, but he did want to stay below the radar until he had more of an idea about his past.

The sun finally set, and the streetlights weren't nearly enough for Jack to see the buildings well enough to make sure he wasn't missing something. With a sigh he stopped his search and turned for home. He could come back tomorrow, especially since it wouldn't take him nearly as long to travel with his new ability.

He took the way back over the neighborhood he'd entered through. As he flew over an alley, shapes caught his attention. Something just didn't seem right. Silently, he dropped to the roof of a building overlooking the alley, willing his staff's light to dim. Below him, a group of men were advancing on a young woman.

"Whatcha doin' out this late, sweetheart?"

"Shouldn't you be home?"

"Here, let us walk you."

She didn't say anything, just kept her head down and tried to keep walking.

"Hey, we're talkin' to you." Another man stepped out and blocked the exit from the alley.

"Please, just let me by," she said quietly, head still down.

"We just wanna help." One of the guys reached out and tried to touch her arm, she jerked away. He laughed. "Looks like she doesn't want to."

"I think she's wrong. She definitely needs our help." The group of five was quickly closing in and she backed up against the wall, the best she could do for protection.

That was all Jack needed to see. Without hesitation he launched himself over the ledge and dropped to the ground, slowing his descent enough to not hurt himself and pulling his hood low over his face. He landed in a crouch, the sound alerting the men.

"What the hell was that?" A couple guys turned away from the girl and looked at Jack's dark figure.

"Looks like another toy," one guy growled.

Jack's eyes narrowed and his jaw set beneath his hood. The staff and his eyes began to glow brighter, the glow casting large, odd shadows around the alley.

"Hell?" One of the men stepped toward Jack menacingly.

Jack stood, still shorter than half the men, but looking more imposing with his staff. Beneath his hood, his eyes glowed as he waited for the man to get closer. As soon as his foot stepped within the circle Jack's staff could reach, Jack swung it under the man's legs with speed that caught the man off guard. He crashed to the ground with a groan and Jack hadn't moved from his original spot.

"Get him," the ringleader said to two of the others.

This time, Jack didn't wait for the men to get close. He took a few quick steps, planted his staff, and launched himself at the first man. His outstretched feet collided with the guy's face and shoved him to the ground. Jack kept his balance and quickly swung the staff up to hit the other man square in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. The fourth man was quickly taken out with a kick spin Jack achieved with another launch from his staff, aided by a flying thrust. The last man took out a knife and flipped it in his hand, obviously ready to fight.

"What are you?" he demanded.

Jack didn't answer. He pointed the crook of his staff at the man's chest as a warning.

"Gonna hit me with your stick?"

Jack grinned, his white teeth flashing in the staff's blue glow. "Worked well enough on your friends."

"So it does talk. Wish you woulda kept your mouth shut." The man lunged forward, but Jack easily avoided it, bringing the staff down on the back of the man's head and immediately knocking him out.

Jack let out a slow breath and stood up straight, setting the but of his staff back on the ground. He faced to the side, head down, hiding his face from the woman. "You okay?" he asked.

A small affirmative noise.

"Can you get home okay?"

"Yes," she managed.

Jack nodded. He turned to leave, but was met with four of the group staggering to their feet. They didn't look happy. The woman gasped behind him and he moved in front of her. Staff at the ready.

"You're gonna pay for that," one of the guys said, wiping a bit of blood from his nose.

"I don't think so." The light in his staff reached a new level and a jolt of energy passed through his body. A sheet of ice spread from the bottom of the staff, coating the ground underneath the group. They struggled to maintain their balance, but before they could Jack swung his staff in an arc blowing a blast of wind filled with ice and snow at them. The four blew back against the alley wall and collapsed on the ground.

"Who the hell is this guy?" the only conscious one groaned.

Jack crouched beside the fallen man and put his staff on his temple. "I'm Jack Frost. And you and you're friends aren't going to do anything like this again, or I'll be back," he hissed. He stood and turned back to the woman. "You should call the police." Jack tapped his staff on the ground and a network of ice spread over the creeps. "This should keep them here for a while."

"T-Thank you."

Jack nodded and leapt into the air, speeding away. He made it a few roofs away before allowing himself to land. He was shaking from excitement. Fighting had come naturally and the ice from his staff was a shock that rivaled his flying ability. Instinct had taken over. Experimentally, he tapped the ground with his staff. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes and focused to find the energy he'd felt earlier. Again, he tapped the ground, this time a small patch of ice formed. Jack smiled widely and took a few dancing steps around the roof. He did it again, skating on the ice he created before him until the entire roof was a giant skating rink.

Flashing blue and red lights distracted Jack and he quickly moved back a few roofs to the alley he had fought in. The woman was still there, talking to a few police officers. Jack leaned over and smirked at the officers attempting to chisel the creeps out of the ice with their night sticks. The woman happened to glance up and her eyes widened when she caught sight of Jack. She pointed him out to the officer she was talking to.

Jack pulled back, but not before the cop spotted him.

"Hey! You!" the officer called.

Jack didn't wait before launching himself into the sky, willing his light to dim so he could disappear. The Guardians hadn't shown and it was time to get home.

The journey was short, and Jack alighted on the front steps softly. The events of the long day finally caught up with him and he only made it to the couch before collapsing in a snoring heap.

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><p><strong>Another Jack chapter. Yay! So, special surprise, maybe if you're interested, but I made sketches of the characters! Well, Jack and Bunny so far, but I'll work on the others if you guys are interested. The links are<strong>

** **mydarkangel710 .deviantart . com .**art/Jack-488173020**

** mydarkangel710 .deviantart . com .art/Bunny-488173034**

**just get rid of the spaces**

**Thanks for taking the time to read!**

**I love reading your reviews! Again if I make a mistake please let me know, I tend to write these late at night so yeah :P**

**~abokencastiel**

**Next Chapter will be with the Guardians again**


	7. Aster's Delivery Service

**I don't own any of the Guardians.**

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><p>Aster groaned and rolled over, clamping the pillow tighter to his head as the garbage truck continued its beeping.<p>

"It's four in the mornin'," he complained into the fabric. "Can't ya wait until the sun's rising before makin' that racket?" He struggled to go back to sleep, but when the truck began smacking the dumpsters multiple times to empty them, he gave up and rolled out of bed. There was no doubt everyone else in the apartment complex was sound asleep, completely adapted to ignoring the noise, but Aster's sensitive ears could never get used to it.

He stretched and rolled his shoulders, working the kinks out from his lumpy mattress. The rabbit gas mask stared up at him from the armchair he'd shed it on the night before. He threw a t-shirt over it as he passed by. The studio apartment was getting a bit cluttered. Normally he was careful about keeping it clean, but between saving the city and doing his messenger bike runs, he didn't have much down time and it was starting to show with dirty cereal dishes piling in the sink and clothes strewn over the floor.

A cup with a bit of almond milk and Kashi cereal made his breakfast since he didn't have the energy to wash a bowl yet. He flicked on his small TV as he munched, shoveling the food in with a fork. Nothing exciting was on the news, just the usual politics interspersed with pointless feel good stories, like the dog who won the weather photo contest. He shook his head at the picture of the dog in a raincoat and goulashes. Not even remotely cute. A brief reel played on the bank heist the day before.

The alarm turned on and he expertly chucked a hacky sack to shut it off. Five a.m. Time to greet the day. He dumped the cup and fork in the sink before heading to his small bathroom. A quick shower later and he was towel drying his hair while trying to find a decent shirt. He quickly slipped into his usual work outfit: t-shirt, cargo shorts, and the zipper hoodie he wore to hide his tattoos. He hated trying to explain them away as being a fan-boy of his own superhero alter ego.

The mask and the rest of his Bunny outfit were stored in the hidden compartments of his messenger bag. It had taken him quite a while to figure out how to appropriately store them in the least bulky way, not an easy feat with a gas mask and few grenades. Aster always tried to detoured to his apartment before going out on a Guardian call, but sometimes the situation didn't allow for that much time. If he couldn't get back, he had to make do with the grenades he could carry around with him, which was only four compared to the usual ten he had on his person.

"Alright, Sophie," he said as he patted the seat of his green bike. "Let's get some good runs in today." He rolled the bike as he left his apartment, carrying it down the three flights of stairs to the street and checking the tires before getting on. He cracked his neck once, then quickly began pedaling, merging into the traffic easily as he shot between early morning commuters. He liked this time of day, when not many people were out and he had his own space on the road.

Aster quickly arrived at the main hub of Silver Deliveries, the bike messenger service that served most of Silverrock City. He hopped off his bike without stopping and quickly secured Sophie to the bike rack out front. As usual, he was the first one there.

"Hey, Aster," the manager called without looking to see who it was.

"Mornin', Mike. Whaddya have for me today? Somethin' good, I hope." Aster leaned on the counter while Mike pulled out a group of packages and addresses.

"There were a few urgents that came in early this morning. One to uptown, a few to lower eastside, and one downtown. Take your pick."

Aster wrinkled his nose as he considered the options. "Give me downtown and the lower east."

Mike nodded and passed over a large box, a pair of manageable document sized ones, and a long tube.

"Not makin' this easy on me, are ya?"

"You're the one who chose." Mike shrugged and went back to matching addresses.

The two smaller packages went into his messenger bag that was slung across his back. "See ya in an hour."

"It's going to take you longer than that."

"Wanna bet?"

Mike saw the gleam and Aster's eye and sighed with a shake of his head. "Nope, I know better than to bet you. Now get going."

The large box was a good size to hold on his hip, and the tube was jousting lance on the front of his bike as he took off. The traffic was beginning to pick up as seven o'clock neared. Aster carefully but quickly moved, his jacket flying behind him as he raced to the closest location on the eastside. He arrived and delivered the big box to an antsy business man who looked so relieved to see the box Aster thought he would hug him. Of course, the man didn't say anything nice at all, simply complained that it took so long to deliver.

The next few drop offs went just as uneventfully, and soon Aster was only carrying the tube. He may not have actually bet Mike on anything, but he still had his pride to account for and if he didn't get the last package delivered and return to the hub in the next twenty minutes, he was going to be SOL. The traffic was in full swing now, the last minute commuters trying to get to work before eight. Aster readjusted the tube to a safer grip as he picked up speed, his legs pumping faster and faster. He tore through an alley and took a corner with such a lean any normal messenger would have fallen, or at least lost their package. A few cars honked their horns and slammed on the breaks as Aster cut in front of them. A red light and he hopped the curb, swinging around a few pedestrians that didn't look up from their phones. He tried to cut down an alley, but stopped short when he reached a high chain-link fence.

Aster cursed lightly under his breath, hopping off Sophie and stashing her behind a garbage can in one smooth motion. A quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, then he took to quick steps before leaping up the ten foot fence. He caught the top and pivoted his body over with one arm, landing firmly on the ground. He took off into a sprint, rounding the last corner and dashing into the lobby.

"Delivery for a Mister. . . Donovan?" Aster held the tube up for the receptionist to see.

"Ah, yes. He said something about that." She pressed a few buttons on her phone and a deep voice could be heard murmuring over the receiver. "Mr. Donovan, your package has arrived. . . Yes. . . Of course, sir." She hung up and smiled at Aster. "I can sign for him," she said.

"I don't usually like to hand over the merchandise without seein' the customer." Aster glanced at his watch. "But I am on a tight schedule." He smiled at the girl. "I guess this once, for that pretty face."

The girl blushed and quickly signed for the package, handing over a few folded bills that Aster shoved into his pocket without looking at.

"Thanks, love," he said with a quick wink before quickly leaving the lobby to sprint back to his bike. Seven minutes to get back. He took another flying leap at the chain-link, this time not even touching the top as he launched himself over. Sophie was right where he left her and he quickly pedaled her back toward Silver Deliveries. He made it just in time.

"Good thing ya didn't bet," he grinned widely at Mike as he slapped down the money on the counter with the receipts.

"That's why I don't bet you anymore, Aster." Mike smiled the same tired look he always had. "And you got here just in time. Special delivery to North's workshop. You know you're the only one he wants to see."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey all, <strong>

**Hope you all enjoyed Aster's chapter! Also, I have a new idea for character design. It's now posted and am MUCH happier with this result. So first up is the new Jack. Take a look.**

mydarkangel710 . deviantart. com

/art / Jack-Frost-489389004

**Thank everyone for reading and reviewing! I love you all!**

**~abrokencastiel**


	8. North's Workshop

**Rise of the Guardians doesn't belong to me. Sadness**

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><p>Aster pulled up outside Norths workshop. The building was built like a relic. It was set back a bit from the sidewalk, giving room for the large curving brick front. A huge sign above the door displayed "St. North's Workshop" in neat cursive. Images of toys were in each corner of the sign, hand painted by North himself. The towering windows on either side of the large door held displays of too many toys to count, all hand made and unique. A steady stream of costumers were flowing through the large oak door that was propped open by a small statue of an elf beckoning passerbys in.<p>

Aster secured his bike to the elf statue and tucked the package under his arm as he entered the store. As usual, the place was bustling. Toy planes were zooming around overhead and a train was busily chugging around a complicated track that spanned the store. Children raced by, barely avoiding colliding with Aster as they hurried to the next display stand. The warm and festive inside was a big contrast to the imposing facade, but the contrast worked very well. A counter offered an array of fresh cookies and hot chocolate to all of the patrons at no charge. Aster grabbed a vegan one as he passed.

The large red chair that North usually spent his time in, carving and posing for pictures with children, was empty. It usually meant something important was going on. A brown haired man, taller than Aster, which was quite a feat, caught the Aussie's eye and he quickly made his way over.

"Oi, Phil."

Phil turned, his bushy eyebrows meeting as he frowned. His beard moved as he spoke Russian.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're busy, but I need to find North. Package for 'im."

A long stream of Russian with hand gestures pointed Aster in the right direction.

"Thanks, mate." Aster patted him on the back and headed for the back workroom. Phil may not speak English, but he could definitely understand it and his animated actions made it easy to get the gist of what he was saying back. It was a decent enough arrangement. Aster knocked before pushing the door open anyway. "Hey, North, ya in here?"

"Ah! Bunny!" North stood and dusted the sawdust from hi hands after putting down the train he was carving.

Aster quickly closed the door. "Don't call me that. Unlike you, I have an identity to hide," he chided.

"Ah, yes, apologies, Aster. Please, come here." The large man beckoned the Australian over and pulled him close. "Look." North pointed to the front page of the newspaper on his desk.

"What? The bank? I know. We were there."

"No, no." The Russian jabbed at a side article with the accompanying picture. "This one."

Aster quickly scanned the story and squinted at the blurry monochrome image. "Is that what I think it is?"

North chuckled and patted Aster on the back. "It appears so, my friend."

"What the bloody hell's he doin' riding around like a witch?" Aster leaned closer to the picture. "Any idea who he is?"

"No clue." The big man shrugged.

Aster smirked. "I thought you knew everythin'."

"Not so. The woman he saved said he apparently had glowing eyes and staff."

"She didn't get a good look at him?"

"Unfortunately no. He was very secretive." North tapped the side of his nose with one finger.

"Any news from Man in Moon?"

North's good mood diminished into a frown. "Nothing. Haven't heard word in month. No leads have come up to where he may be."

"So we can't even be sure who this guy is." Aster ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Heck of a time for him to disappear." He took a moment to sit in North's chair, flipping the package he still held at his friend. "Sandy or Tooth know about this?"

"Not yet. Sandy has been called, but he has not responded. Tooth has the hours she is unavailable unless emergency, and I think this is not of that much importance."

"She would be annoyed to be buggered if we interrupted whatever she's doin' for somethin' like this. Still can't believe she won't tell us who she really is, even after all this time."

"She is being careful. I can respect her decision."

"Whatever." Aster stood again and retrieved the paper for North to sign from his bag. "Keep me up to date with what happens with the kid."

* * *

><p>The ice shot from the end of Jack's staff and flew to the right of the tree. He frowned and paced in a circle before whipping around and shooting another blast. This time it nicked the left side of the tree instead of flying around. Progress.<p>

Jack kept at it until he hit the tree ten times in a row with icy blasts, sufficiently coating the trunk. He grinned and flipped the staff in his hand. It was well past noon. He jogged back to the house where he'd left his shoes and sweatshirt. The empty box of granola bars taunted him from the counter and he put a hand on his growling stomach. The excitement from the day before and kept him distracted from getting more food while in the city. Another, more productive, trip was in order.

He quickly slipped on the shoes Myra had given him along with the sweatshirt. The gate was no problem as he levitated over it with his staff. A glint on the wall caught his eye and he lowered back to the ground. In the wall was a plaque mostly hidden by ivy. Jack pulled the vines away and ran his fingers over the embossed letters: Burgess, EST. 1712. The teen raised a brow, but didn't dwell too long on the information. He doubted it would do much to answer any of his questions.

Back on the staff, Jack took off for the city. The feeling of flying hit him again and he couldn't help but laugh. After a minute of flying straight, he did a quick sideways somersault before going into a series of steep rises and falls, loving the feeling of weightlessness as he fell back toward the earth.

The city approached and Jack went higher into the clouds. A good alley, surrounded by taller buildings and near where he had left off the night before, caught his attention and he dropped quickly into its safety. He landed on top of a dumpster and stepped off without hesitation onto the alley ground. His staff was glowing and he knew that was no good. Even in the daylight, the glowing was still obvious. He closed his eyes for a moment, slowing his heart rate and focusing. When he opened them again, he was happy to see the staff was completely dark. He smirked happily and pulled his hood up over his head as he walked toward the alley exit. Downtown was bustling with enough people for Jack to disappear into the crowd. He kept his head down and his staff as close to his body as possible.

He kept his eyes open for North's workshop as well as any opportunity for a meal. There was a hotdog stand on the corner, but Jack's empty pocket wasn't going to help in that department. A man in a business suit bumped into Jack's shoulder.

"Sorry," the man murmured, glancing up from his phone. He did a quick double take and frowned.

"It's fine." Jack kept his head down and went to turn away.

"Hey, do I know you from somewhere?"

Jack stopped mid-step. Did someone know him? "Uh. . ."

The man was nodding. "Yeah, aren't you the guy from the newspaper?"

"What?"

"The newspaper. There was an article on you."

"I don't know anything about that."

"No, it was definitely you." The man reached toward Jack.

Jack instinctively backed away, his heart rate picking up. "I think you have the wrong person."

"The police were looking for you. You had something to do with an attack on that woman." The man frowned, trying to remember the story.

The staff was beginning to hum under Jack's fingers and he held it in front of himself.

"But you're just a kid!" The man stepped closer, trying to peer under Jack's hood.

"Stay away." Visible breath escaped Jack's lips.

"You stay right here, I'm calling the cops." The man turned back to his cell phone.

A group of people were now gathered around the pair. Jack's hand tightened on his staff. "Please, just leave me alone."

The man kept an eye on him as he talked on the phone. "Hi, yes. I found the guy the cops were looking for from the robbery last night. . . The one in the hood."

Jack turned and started to quickly walk away.

"Hey! Stop!" The man reached out and grabbed onto Jack's hoodie, stopping him short.

"I said leave me alone!" Jack whirled and sent a sheet of ice out under the man's feet. The guy toppled to the ground with a surprised look, landing roughly on his shoulder. The crowd gasped and Jack quickly made a break for it between bystanders and took off into the sky as police sirens sounded off in the distance.

Jack flew up to the nearest roof and jumped from building to building until he made it to Myra's door. He knocked quickly, hoping she would be there. Agonizing moments passed, the entire time Jack thinking the police were going to show up for him. Finally, the door creaked open and Myra peered out at him.

"Jack?"

"Hey. Uh, could I stay here for a bit?" He glanced in the direction of the sirens.

Myra seemed to understand and stood aside to let the youth in. She led the way to an old table and ushered for him to sit down. "I take it you're the one they're looking for?"

Jack half-smiled and rubbed the back of his neck in answer.

"Does it have anything to do with last night?" Myra produced a dirty front page and Jack instantly recognized himself in the picture.

"Oh. That's what he was talking about." He peered closer. "I look like a witch. I think I need to find a new way to fly."

Myra clicked her tongue and moved to a pile of clothes collected in one corner. There seemed to be semi-organized piles of everything around the old Subway, ranging from clothes to books to toys. A few candles lit the area, all carefully placed where they wouldn't be in danger of starting a fire.

"Here." The woman held out a backpack and a hat to Jack. "You can't walk around in that hood all the time. Too easy to spot you. Also should keep that hair covered."

"Thanks." Jack accepted the gifts and exchanged the hoodie for the hat.

"Now, you should probably stay here for a few hours until things die down. You hungry?"

Jack grinned. "Starved."

* * *

><p>"Still think he could be a good thing?" Aster asked into his watch.<p>

"It could have been accident," North responded over the speaker.

"Well, his accident sent a man to the emergency room for a broken collarbone."

"Yes, that was not good," North grudgingly agreed. "But perhaps there is reason for his outburst."

"Maybe, but I'm not convinced yet. We'll talk about it later with everyone. See ya."

"Farewell."

Aster hit a button and hung up the call as he sped through the alleys and streets, almost hoping he would run into the kid himself as he made his way back between deliveries.

* * *

><p><strong>Surprise! I got this done super fast. Who's awesome? I am! JK<strong>

**So I finished Bunny's updated picture and it's on my deviantart account now too if you want to check it out. mydarkangel710 . deviantart. com**

**/art /E-Aster-Martin-aka-Bunny-489616353**

**Again, I'm not great at art, but I try haha (sweats nervously)**

**Anywho, I'll try to get the next chap up by this weekend.**

**Cheers!**

**~abrokencastiel**

**P.S.**

**Painapple: IDK if I'll actually do any obvious shipping at the moment, but Aster mainly flirted with the girl because he's a bike messenger and wanted to get a good tip, that's all. Gotta flaunt whatcha got when you're workin' for tips ;)**


	9. Breaking and Entering

**I'm back! But still don't own Rise of the Guardians**

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><p>Jack made a quick check out the door before bidding Myra good bye. "Thanks for the food."<p>

"Not a problem, my dear. You just be careful, stay out of trouble."

"Me? Trouble?" Jack grinned mischievously. "I don't know what you mean."

Myra rolled her eyes as she closed the door.

Jack repositioned the cap lower over his face. The backpack also gave a less conspicuous option of carrying his staff. Myra had helped him attach a few loops that the staff could slide through, holding it diagonally between his back and the pack. This also meant he didn't have to hold it, keeping the glowing off without him having to concentrate. Jack made his way back toward his search point, ears pricked for any sign of recognition from those around him. It was getting later in the day and more people were around. Myra had insisted he stay until it was closer to evening. He tried to keep Myra's tips in mind.

1. Don't act guilty.

2. Don't avoid eye contact but don't look for it either.

3. Don't stick to just alleys.

There were others, but they mainly focused around not looking like he was trying to avoid everyone and not look suspicious.

"Did you hear what happened to that Alan guy? He got attacked by the Iceman or whatever it is they're going to call him."

Jack's attention was caught by the conversation he was overhearing between a man and woman waiting at a crosswalk.

"What happened to him?" the woman asked.

"In the hospital. Broken collarbone."

"Oh my."

"Apparently," the man continued, happy to be sharing gossip. "He saw the guy and tried to talk to him. The guy flipped out, shot him with some ice, and took off. Scary stuff."

"I hope the Guardians will take care of him. He sounds dangerous."

The light changed and the couple stepped into the crosswalk, leaving Jack behind. He was frozen for a few seconds, but managed to snap out if it in time to dash across the street before the light changed again. He had hurt that man. He hadn't meant to, but he had. But it wasn't his fault, the guy had scared him is all.

A news stand caught Jack's attention and he wandered over. A breaking story cover told the story just like man had said. It made Jack sound like an attacker.

"If you're gonna read you gonna have to pay," the man at the booth said.

Jack quickly put the paper down and moved on. What was he going to do now?

His feet continued to carry him in a grid pattern subconsciously, and he was so distracted he almost missed the imposing structure sat back from the road. North's Workshop.

Jack nearly tripped over his feet. He'd found it! Finally! He quickly went to the big wooden doors and tried to pull them open, but they were shut tight. Jack jumped over to the window and peered in. Completely dark.

He groaned and stepped back, putting his hands behind his head. Now what? Jack's gaze drifted up toward the roof.

"No harm in trying." Jack moved around to the alley and pulled off his backpack. He exchanged the hat for the hood, better to stick with the already known outfit than ruin his new disguise. His staff lit up in his hand and he could feel it wanting to take off. The backpack was safely stashed behind a dumpster, and Jack stepped back the middle of the alley. He started to get on the staff how he had before, but the picture flashed through his mind and he decided to try something different. First he took off his shows, adding them to the stashed backpack. Next, he experimentally flipped the staff over and put one foot in the crook and tried to fly up. His idea worked, and as he rose, he shifted so the staff was leaning and his other foot was higher up on the staff. Slowly, he let the staff go completely horizontal. He was a little worried that without holding it, the staff would fall, but it stayed sturdy beneath his feet. A smile spread across his face, and he let the staff rise toward the rooftop, his toes curling around the metal.

He kept his arms out to the side like a tightrope walker as the staff picked up speed. He reached the top quickly and hovered over the roof at about six feet. Without hesitation, he stepped off and fell to the rooftop, catching the staff in his hand before it hit the ground. The cool concrete was prickly beneath his feet as he made his way to the garage door that offered an exit from the roof. Jack experimentally tried to pull it up but to no avail. It was securely locked at the bottom.

Jack ran a hand through his hair as he considered his options. He could give up, come back later and hope he could get in. But he was so close. Glancing around the obviously empty roof, Jack raised his staff and lightly tapped one of the locks. It froze instantly. Another, hard jab shattered the lock. The same process was done to the second lock, releasing the door so Jack could raise it up.

Jack let his staff glow brighter as he peered around what looked like a large garage. A door at the far end caught his attention and he quickly moved toward it. His hand closed on the door knob with mounting excitement, the answers to everything could be right there. He turned the handle and slowly pushed open the door.

A large room opened before him, decorated like a ski lodge with a large fireplace, red carpet, and wooden beams overhead. In a large arm chair an equally as large man snored, his reddish brown beard moving slightly with each breath. In one hand he held a paintbrush and in the other a white horse figurine half-painted brown. On his stomach was balanced a small paint container, rocking slightly as his chest rose and fell.

Jack inched closer to the man. He seemed to be about the right size to be North, but without the white hair Jack couldn't be sure. He peered down at the sleeping man. No, not the Guardian. The smell of cookies drew Jack to a side table. Sugar cookies that were still warm. He took two and happily munched on them as he began to look around the rest of the room. A large globe took up one corner filled with red pins that marked specific places. Jack reached out to touch one, but a snuffling from the sleeping figure pulled him back the arm chair.

The man was mumbling under his breath and Jack couldn't help but begin to talk back.

"Is that true?"

More mumbling.

"Well, why don't you tell him?" Jack had no idea what the man was saying, but his replies seemed good enough for the sleep talker. "Just march right up there and tell him."

The response was a bit more, and the precariously balanced paint can began to tip. Jack reached out to catch it, hitting the man in the process. He woke instantly, bloodshot green eyes snapping open and sitting up so fast the container bounced from Jack's startled hands straight to the floor. The big man looked down at the mess, up to Jack, back to the mess, and back to Jack. The slowly spreading paint finally registered and the man's eyes grew wide. He dropped the paintbrush and the horse and slapped his hands to either side of his face in a terrified expression.

"Sorry-" Jack began but was cut off by frantic Russian as the man grabbed a work towel and began to try and scrub up the mess. The stain only spread deeper. "You're only making it worse."

The man looked up with a large frown and stood to his full height, which towered over Jack. He looked the youth up and down, seeming to realize that he shouldn't be there. Speaking more Russian, the man moved to grab Jack. The teen tried to run, but the man grabbed his sweater and hefted him under one burly arm. The Russian began marching to another door against Jack's protests.

"Hey! It's not my fault you spilled the paint!" The man took Jack down a staircase, through a dimply lit workshop, and out through the dark store. The large wooden doors swung out easily against the Russian's hand and he deposited Jack onto the front steps, pointing harshly to tell Jack to leave.

"I need to see North," Jack said with a frown, crossing his arms.

The man's eyes narrowed beneath his bushy eyebrows. He pointed at Jack and back out at the street before nodding harshly and slamming the door closed.

Jack stood at the door for a few seconds, then began banging on it. "Hey! Let me back in! I need to talk to North!" There was no answer, and Jack quickly jumped back on his staff to fly up.

As he neared the top, the sound of a motor made him swing down to hide on the edge of the building. He peered up just as a large red motorcycle with an even bigger sidecar set down. North himself drove the vehicle into the garage. The sidecar held the other Guardians.

Jack's heart beat rapidly. This was it. He was suddenly too nervous to move, even his staff was shaking beneath his feet. Steeling himself, he flew up and silently landed on the roof hidden at the side of the garage, trying to think of what he would say.

"I do not remember leaving garage open," North was saying.

"It looks like someone broke in," a female voice, Tooth, said. "Bunny, why don't you come and look at this."

"Not quite yet, mate. My stomach's still settling."

"Still not fan of flying?" North asked with a chuckle.

"Men are not meant to fly," Bunny growled.

"Seriously, guys. It looks like someone blew out the locks." Tooth's footsteps got closer to Jack's hiding spot and he held his breath.

"Come. We go inside. Maybe Phil know what happened." The Guardian's footsteps retreated and Jack peaked around the corner.

He should have said something. Should have told them it was a mistake to break in, but that he just wanted answers. But he didn't want to meet them like that. Jack inched toward the door and cracked it open so he could see inside..

"Phil, what is this?" North was standing over the white splotch, the other big man, apparently named Phil, was still scrubbing at the carpet. "I cannot leave you alone, can I?"

Phil replied in hurried Russian, gesturing with his hands widely.

"He was here?" North's surprise caught the other's attention.

"Who was here?" Bunny asked.

"The boy. The boy with the ice." North looked around the room, as if expecting Jack to still be in there. Jack quickly made his crack smaller.

"What?" Tooth also began looking around, her feathers shimmering in the light from the fireplace.

"What happened to him?" North redirected himself at Phil who gruffly replied. "You threw him out? Phil!" Phil gave a more almost whining reply. "Yes, yes, I know I tell you to throw out unexpected visitors, but we must talk to this young man."

"Yeah, we need to ask him what he wants and why he's attackin' people on the street," Bunny said with crossed arms.

"Bunny," Tooth said with a bit of warning in her voice.

"No, I know we've been talkin' like he's a good guy an' all, but we can't ignore the fact he seriously hurt that man. And he just broke into the Workshop! Who knows what he could have been after! I think we should be taking this much more seriously. This kid could be a threat. He's certainly seems powerful enough to be one."

Jack's heart dropped. They thought he was a threat. He backed up a few steps, letting the door close.

* * *

><p>Aster heard the snap of the door closing. His head snapped in that direction and he immediately took off. He jerked the door open just in time to see the hooded figure jump off the roof. Bunny sprinted to the roof's edge, arriving just in time to see the kid zoom off on his staff, skateboarder style.<p>

Tooth, North, and Sandy joined the Australian at the roof.

Sandy shook his head and looked at Aster pointedly.

"Sandy's right," Tooth said. "He definitely heard you."

Aster moved his mask up on top of his head and ran a hand over his face. He did feel a little bad. "I'm still standing by what I said. It's awful suspicious he was tryin' to break in."

"I just wished we could have talked to him," North said sadly as they walked back into the Workshop.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing him around," Tooth comforted.

Phil shot a look at the petite her and grumbled from where he continued scrubbing at the floor. Aster got the distinct impression he didn't ever want to see the kid again.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey all,<strong>

**A fresh chapter for all you lovely folk. I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Again, if anything seems to odd please let me know :) I do hope Aster's bike being named Sophie isn't too odd... I'm not going to get her in the story, but I wanted to have a little salute to her at least.**

**I've almost finished all the Guardians' looks, just working on Sandy, for those who are interested, so the next chapter should have a link to a master post of their pictures.**

**Lots of love to all of you wonderful readers!**

**~abrokencastile**


	10. The Underground

**I don't own Rise of the Guardians. Well, I do own a copy of the movie so that's something I guess.**

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><p>It took five blocks for Jack to remember his hidden backpack. His staff swung in a circle and stopped abruptly, causing him to instinctively lean to keep his balance. He hovered for a few seconds, trying to decide if he should go back. The Guardians would still be there, and he had heard them on the roof as he'd made his getaway. It would be best if he waited at least a little while before going back. He turned the staff toward the tallest skyscraper and shot up to the roof, landing on the balls of his feet. The sky was cloudy and the moon a hazy glow. Jack allowed himself to fall to a sitting position on the edge, his legs dangling. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and twirling his staff between his hands.<p>

"I didn't mean it," he murmured to himself. "They have to know I didn't mean it."

* * *

><p>"Would you like ride back to homes?" North offered the Guardians at the conclusion of their meeting an hour later.<p>

Sandy raised a hand and nodded

"I'd prefer the long way back," Aster said, a distinct queasy look covering his face.

"Tooth?" North asked the still masked girl.

"I'll walk with Bunny. Thanks for the offer."

North nodded and motioned for Phil to escort the pair to the door as he and Sandy headed back for the sleigh. Phil quickly led the way with his lumbering walk, the two Guardians following behind.

"So, Phil, how'd your meeting with the kid go?" Aster asked as he secured his mask to his face in preparation for the outside.

A mumble and exhausted head roll conveyed the Russian's feelings.

Aster chuckled and patted the large man on the back. "No worries, mate. Don't think that kid'll be back for a while."

The Guardians bid Phil goodbye as they left the workshop, earning a half-hearted wave in farewell before the door was slammed and locked.

"Not a very talkative guy, is he?"

"No," Tooth agreed with a grin. Her metallic feathers caught the street lights and sent a sparkle dancing on the sidewalk. "He's definitely nothing like North."

They took a longer path, half-patrolling in case of nefarious activities. A few cars passed and honked when they recognized the heroes.

"Do you really think the boy is going to be trouble?" Tooth asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Aster sighed and put his hands behind his head. "He definitely could be. That kind of power out of nowhere is a little suspicious if you ask me."

"What if he has something to do with Manny? Maybe he knows what happened to him."

"If he knows anything about Manny," Aster said with a frown. "Then why hasn't he come to talk to us? Manny would have told him how to get in touch with us from the beginning, not let him go running around on his own. Besides, Manny's missing. If the kid knows anything about that, I don't think I'd trust him anymore. Pro'bly less." They reached the end of the street and Tooth paused, preparing to break off from Aster's path. "You ever gonna tell us who you really are, fairy?"

Tooth pulled her mask down to make sure it was secure. "Not today, Bunny."

Aster sighed and waved a hand in dismissal. "Get on home. Someone must be missin' ya." The Australian began to walk away.

"Hey," Tooth called him back. "I know you don't really want to, but we need to cut the boy some slack."

"Always the voice of reason, aren't ya?"

"He's probably scared after hearing the big bad Bunny saying those mean things." Tooth winked before turning and lightly jogging away.

The idea of following her home to discover her secret identity crossed Aster's mind but he quickly dismissed it. She may not trust the Guardians with her real name, but she trusted them to let her keep her secret. Aster could respect that even though he was curious. Instead, he turned himself to a nearby subway entrance and descended the stairs quickly. There were only a few people on the terminal and he easily slipped down on the maintenance walk by the tracks.

Before Aster got a bike, he had delivered packages freelance by free running. After a few mistakes of people being shocked by a speeding Aster essentially leaping over small buildings in a single bound, he had changed tactics. The subway became a quick and easy way for him to traverse the city without drawing too much attention. The main lines were still used by the old subway traveling to the far points of the city, but there were plenty of side tracks that had been abandoned. Aster had quickly learned them and even in the darkness could easily follow the path to his own apartment. He could let his guard down in his tunnels, removing his mask and letting his hood fall back in the shelter of the underworld. The mask didn't breathe very well and the cool air felt good against his skin. Sweaty hair flopped in his eyes and he pushed it back with one hand.

It'd been a long day, even without the excitement of the ice kid and the long meeting. The Guardians had been requested to participate in an announcement by the mayor about his new electoral campaign and North had insisted they go. It had required a lot of standing, waving, and smiling for the heroes whose faces were uncovered. Thankfully, Aster's couldn't be seen. After the conference, they had met with the families they had rescued at the bank, making sure everyone was doing alright. Of course, then there were the interviews and meetings with the prosecutors of the many criminals they had helped put behind bars. In other words, Aster again stood there silently, nodding occasionally to things North or Tooth said. He couldn't talk for fear of people recognizing his accent. He wasn't good at public speaking, anyway. The real reason he was a Guardian was to help people. Not stand around and do public speaking gigs. There just wasn't enough crime in the city to keep busy and if the Guardians were going to stay in good standing with the public, they needed to keep doing things in the public image, at least that's what North said.

The stop on the old subway line that opened about a block away from his apartment was decrepit, but Aster had done a lot of work to make it a better secret lair. He hit the light switch, bathing the platform in light, and headed for the old employee room off to the side that had been converted into a workplace where he could put together his many colorful grenades. A few extra superhero costumes and regular outfits were there as well, ready to go. Aster slipped into a shirt and a pair of jeans, packing one of his Bunny outfits for emergency changing in a backpack. The staircase leading up from his landing had disintegrated but he easily jumped over the gaping hole in the stairs after switching off the light and popped open the barrier that blocked the entrance. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder and nonchalantly began the last walk to his apartment.

* * *

><p>Jack Frost had moved to lying on the roof of the skyscraper and fallen asleep while waiting for the appropriate amount of time to pass before he went to retrieve his hidden backpack. The chilly night air didn't wake Jake so much as the roar of North's vehicle as it passed a dozen stories below him. He sat up and watched the glowing red taillights disappear between buildings as he stretched his stiff arms. The cold air didn't bother him, but the hard building had made him a little sore.<p>

When he was sure North wouldn't be returning to the Workshop anytime soon, Jack stood on the edge of the roof and looked down at the dizzying height. Without hesitation he stepped off, his stomach doing a slight somersault as he plummeted. He bent in the air and fit the staff under his feet, allowing it to catch him. He stayed crouched on the staff as he traveled back to the Workshop. He kept to alleys and consciously kept his staff's glow at a lesser level. He arrived at the dumpster in no time and quickly retrieved his backpack without incident. He stuck with the hoodie, pulling it over his head as he readied to head for home. At least, he was going to call it his home for the time being. The city was pretty asleep besides the downtown area where a bit off night life light was visible. He kept low over the roof tops, ears and eyes open for North or any other flying thing that could cause him trouble. What caught his eye, however, wasn't a machine but the glint of metallic feathers. Jack pulled up sharply and paused on the roof he was over.

Bunny and Tooth were having a conversation on the street below him, paused at the sidewalk corner. The man in the rabbit mask made to walk away but was stopped by something Tooth said. Jack strained to hear the quiet conversation.

"-bly scared after hearing the big bad Bunny saying those mean things." Tooth left after her last remark and Bunny turned in the opposite direction.

"I'm not scared," Jack said to himself quietly with a frown. He stood and dropped the height of the building to the ground. Peeking around the corner he saw Bunny disappearing into a subway entrance. Jack glanced back toward Tooth, but she had already disappeared into the city. The shoes were retrieved from his backpack and slipped on before he headed for the subway entrance. His staff went into the loops. He kept his hood well over his face as he passed the few people on the platform, following the dark shape of the Guardian. Jack waited a few moments before jumping down onto the maintenance ledge as well. Bunny's dark clothes made it difficult to follow him, but Jack saw the dark shape turn off of the dim subway to a completely dark abandoned tunnel.

The new subway was dark and Jack wanted to take his staff back out, but he knew the light would give him away. Instead, he began slowly making his way down the dark tunnel, following the echoing footsteps of the Guardian. He stayed well behind in the dark, feeling cautiously with his foot at every step to make sure he didn't trip loudly. The tunnels were winding and the huge openings made it difficult to effectively follow Bunny on his path. More than once, Jack went the wrong direction and had to retrace until he found the correct source of the footsteps. His eyes slowly adjusted more to the dark, allowing him to see the abandoned stations he passed. All of them were cracked and a few scurrying shadows sent shivers down his spine. His fingers again itched for his staff, this time more for moral support than the light it would provide.

Bunny's steps stopped in front of Jack and the teen paused, his heart speeding up. The hero must have finally noticed his follower. Jack's fears were amplified when he was blinded by a bright light on the platform. He instinctively plastered himself to the wall of the tunnel, blinking rapidly to adjust his eyes. Any second, he expected to be overtaken by Bunny. To be caught and dragged in front of the other Guardians and judged and locked away for being a danger. The seconds passed. Then a minute. His vision stopped being spotty, and still no one appeared. He released the breath he'd been holding slowly and cautiously skirted along the wall to the edge of the platform. He knelt and peered up over the lip, ready to duck down at the slightest hint of movement.

An open door went to a room at the back of the platform. Jack could see a shadow moving inside. The rest of the platform had what looked like training objects. A few dummies, a punching back, targets on sticks in a row on one side, and a rack of what looked like boomerangs. Bunny appeared in the doorway and Jack quickly ducked back down. He waited for the lights to be turned off, the footsteps to jog up the stairs, pausing briefly as the hero leaped a large gap, and the opening and closing of a door at the top of the staircase. He waited a few moments longer, then pulled out his staff. The glow slowly grew until he could find the light switch on the wall. He flipped it and this time was prepared for the sudden light. He wacked a dummy with his staff, grinning at the satisfying _thwack_. Jack continued past the dummy, then snapped back, sending a shot of ice at the dummy. He hit it squarely, freezing the entire torso solid. Jack grinned at his improvement and moved on to the room Bunny had been in. Colorful objects that looked a lot like eggs were carefully stored in cases around the room, coded by color. A few dozen were on the long table in the center of the room in various stages of assembly. A rack of clothes at the back held extra costumes and a few sets of civilian clothes. Jack took one of the rabbit masks and tried it on. It was extremely claustrophobic and he quickly removed gleam of an egg caught his eye and curiosity got the better of him.

"What is this guy? The Easter Bunny?" Jack chuckled at his own joke as he carefully held the object between thumb and forefinger, turning it to examine it. A small circle at the tapered end showed where the top had been screwed on. A sensor of some sort was on the side, about an inch from the top. Jack ran a thumb over it. Not a button from what he could tell. He pressed it a bit, trying to see if maybe it was a button, just sunk in. Still nothing. Jack sighed and was about to put the egg down when he noticed the spot blipping a red light. He picked the egg back up and frowned at the light. Slowly it started increasing in intensity. Something was bugging Jack. This felt really familiar. He should know what this was.

It hit him a moment later.

Grenade.

Without thinking, Jack chucked the grenade out the door onto the platform and shot up a wall of ice to block the doorway. He bent and covered his neck as the grenade erupted on the other side. Slowly he stood and walked to the ice barrier. A tap of his staff and the wall melted allowing him to look back out at the platform. It could have been worse. The grenade wasn't a frag, but a fine layer of something was spread over most of the room. The feeling of burning in his nose and eyes made him realize it was mace.

"Uh oh." Jack covered the lower half of his face with the crook of his elbow and squinted his eyes against the sting. It was strong. Before it could get any worse, he flew himself over the mess and up the stairwell, careful to avoid rustling the mace dust.

The fresh air of outside was relief to his stinging eyes that were watering a bit. "Good thing I didn't get hit, or I'd be down for a while," he grimaced. He glanced back at the entrance, wishing he could clean it, but he had no idea how to take care of the mess. With his luck he'd only make it worse.

"Oh, well. He already thinks the worst of me." With that parting thought, Jack slipped off his shoes and took off on his staff, pointed for Burgess.

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><p><strong>Gah! Sorry this took a while to get up, but I did make it extra long for apology!<strong>

**Again, wrote this late and over a few days so hopefully I covered everything.**

**Thanks for reading! Review if you wish :)**

**~abrokencastiel**


	11. The Man in the Business Suit

"Who did what?" North frowned at his speaker phone while he worked on the doll house he'd been building all week. He was putting on the last few shingles before beginning the painting process.

"My bloody lair! The Burrow!" Bunny's voice shouted over the speaker. "The little punk blew up one of my mace grenades and the entire place is covered!"

"Was there any damage?"

"Was there any damage!? All of my training gear and boomerangs are gonna be out of commission for at least three days. It's gonna take a month to get all of the mace out of the underground." As Bunny's anger rose, his accent got thicker. North could hear him banging around in the background.

"Is not that bad. You exaggerate. We come help you clean."

"Don't think you should, mate. This place is a war zone." A loud bang sounded followed by cursing.

"Everything okay?"

"No, everythin' is not okay. Have you heard anythin' I've been saying? I told you that kid is bad news."

North ran a hand over his face. It did seem like an awful lot of coincidences where the boy was the source of trouble. "Are you sure it was the boy?"

"Well, who the bloody hell else would it be? And there's a half-melted chunk of ice on one of my dummies. I had to go out and buy hairdryer to try and thaw it." A click followed by a loud blowing sound over the speaker, surprising the Russian and almost making him whack the hammer he was using through the roof of the house.

"Bunny, please calm down. I almost ruined the house."

A pause, the hairdryer still going. "Am I on speaker phone?"

"No, no, of course not." North quickly picked up the phone and clicked it over. "I know how you don't want to be overheard."

"Right." He sounded guarded, sensing North's lie. "If you can get the others on board, I could some extra hands to get this place usable again." Bunny hung up unceremoniously and North sighed as he put his own phone down. He cast a last look at his unfinished house, then typed out a quick message on his Guardian watch to alert the other two members to what was going on. "Phil! I am going out! Do not touch my house!" North called before heading for the roof and his sleigh.

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><p>The man in the business suit looked out at the city below, his long face reflecting back at him. His dark hair was meticulously styled and he raised his chin to give his reflection a better angle. From his vantage point he could see a majority of the downtown area. A rapidly moving smear of red between buildings reveled North to be on the move again. It seemed that Guardian was always doing something good in the city.<p>

The man sneered as his golden eyes followed the sleigh until it was out of sight. The Guardians. Protecting the city. They had effectively instilled confidence and safety in almost everyone in the city. Crime had dropped to less than a quarter of what it had been just two years ago. People had stopped worrying. They weren't buying security systems or large insurance plans. And that was the business he ran.

The lack of fear was making a large cut in his profits. He couldn't have that. He was accustomed to a certain standard of living and losing his income was not something he was willing to accept.

"Mr. Pitchiner, your three o'clock's here." The receptionist's voice was distorted slightly over the speaker.

He moved and pressed on long finger to the button. "Thank you, Samantha. Please send him up," his British voice purred. He returned to his place by the window for a more dramatic first impression.

The elevator dinged open and he called to his guest without turning around. "Please, have a seat."

"Maybe I don't wanna have a seat. Maybe I wanna know why you called me over here, Mr. Pitchiner, was it?"

"Please, call me Pitch." Pitch turned and smiled slightly at his guest.

"Pitch?" The man snorted and crossed his arms. "Alright then, _Pitch_. What is it you need from me?"

Pitch moved and poured two glasses of brandy before sitting behind his desk and handing one over to his guest. "Well, Mr. Sikes, in short I'm going to offer you a solution to your problem."

"What problem?"

"Oh, I think we both know what problem I'm talking about." Pitch chuckled. "We both have the same problem. We are both going out of business." He paused to let that sink in a few seconds. "You can't tell me I'm wrong, can you? Those Guardians have put quite a damper on your. . . business."

Sikes squirmed in his chair, fiddling with the brandy glass. Finally he sloshed it back in one, quick gulp. "Alright, you got my interest."

Pitch smirked. "I thought I would."

"Don't look so happy with yourself. I said I'd listen, doesn't mean I'll accept."

"I believe once you hear my proposal, you'll be more than happy to take me up on my deal." Pitch's grin widened. He always got his way.

* * *

><p>"Told ya it was bad, didn't I?" Aster stood to the side, arms crossed and seething. The lower half of his face was covered by a bandana to protect his nose and mouth from the mace.<p>

North nodded. The larger man had his hands on his hips and was surveying the damage. "Is as bad as you said."

Sandy nodded, a gold scarf wrapped around his face much like Aster's bandana. The small Guardian had exchanged his golden attire for more normal clothes, a simple white tunic and canvas pants. His golden hair was still stuck out at odd angles as usual.

"Tooth decide she was too good to help?"

"No, no. She would be here if she could. She sends apologies."

Sand shook his head and shrugged, relaying that he didn't blame Tooth for skipping out.

"Fair enough, Sandy." Aster pushed himself off the wall and grabbed a water bucket and a roll of paper towels. "Don't try to use the towels more than once. Isn't worth it. We've just gotta wipe everything down. Make sure you don't miss a spot. And don't touch your eyes or you'll regret it," he warned as he began carefully cleaning his boomerangs.

* * *

><p>The sun glinted off Jack's hair as he flew through the sky. Instead of going to the city right away, he'd decided to practice his travel technique. The ease with which he could turn corners and speed was growing. He could even fly without his hands out for balance. He flipped a loop and zoomed back over the Burgess house. His backpack was relaxed next to the chimney and he grabbed it as he flew by. There was only so much he could occupy himself with outside the city.<p>

* * *

><p>Pitch stood and extended a hand to Sikes. "Thank you for coming to see me. I hope you keep what I proposed in mind. My door is always open, but time is of the essence if my plan is to work." He led the way to the elevator, pressing the call button with one long finger.<p>

Sikes frowned in concentration, Pitch could practically see the gears turning in the man's head. Only a few more moments needed for him to come to the same conclusion Pitch had a long time ago. The elevator dinged, and Pitch held the door, but Sikes didn't move.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Sikes?"

Sikes's hard eyes met Pitch's gold ones. "I've had enough time to consider your offer. My men and I will take you up on it."

Pitch's smile broadened and he allowed the elevator door to slide closed. "In that case, why don't we go smooth out a few details before you leave?" Pitch let Sikes lead the way back into his office. After pouring another glass of brandy for each, he leaned and pressed the button on his call pad. "Samantha, pleases cancel all my other appointments for the day." Before Pitch returned to his seat, he caught a flash of blue just outside his window. His eyes widened slightly and he paused to follow the figure. It was a boy. The boy he had read about that may not be as good as those Guardians. Pitch frowned slightly in thought. Maybe the boy would be worth looking into.

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><p><strong>Yo!<strong>

**Sorry I took so long again, exams got hectic plus it was my B-day so I took some time off cuz YOLO!**

**Anywho, hope you enjoyed! It's 3 am and I am in no condition to reread this for spelling and grammar crap so eventually I'll come back and check the continuity.**

**Danka for the reviews and such! Ya'll are wonderful!**

**~a(very tired)brokencastiel**


	12. Jamie

**I don't own ROTG. But I am now the proud owner of a blue and white betta fish named Jack Frost. So there.**

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><p>Jack perched on top of the building corner, staring down at the sidewalk below. No one was looking up and he was confident he would go unseen. He'd considered going back to Bunny's hideout, but it didn't take long for him to decide that wasn't the best idea. The hero had probably already seen the mess and Jack hadn't exactly done a good job of covering his tracks. He grimaced at the memory of the mace messy and the frozen blocks he'd left behind in his hurry to get out. Had he always been like this? Screwing up when he was trying to be good?<p>

Jack sighed and stood, tightrope walking along the edge with his staff across his shoulders. The smell of pizza reached him and his mouth began watering involuntarily. Food. It was always food he didn't have. He could have gone back to Madge, but he didn't like imposing on her. She'd done enough for him. Jack hopped off the roof and allowed himself to fall to the ground. He had taken off the sweatshirt and put on his hat and shoes, doing as much as he could to make himself look not like himself. He'd even exchanged the T-shirt he'd had on for a long sleeve shirt. He slid his staff into its loops, taking comfort in its shape pressing on his back. His blue eyes kept trained on the ground, allowing the smell to lead him down the sidewalk.

The pizza place was small and Jack hesitated a moment at the window. The prices of a slice were displayed in bright yellow stars, and they were probably pretty good prices. Probably fairly cheap. But Jack didn't have a dollar to his name. He swallowed and continued on his way. Maybe there would be a soup kitchen or something he could eat at.

A group of kids dashed past Jack, one of them knocking into the end of his staff that stuck out from the bottom of his backpack, causing them both to spin toward each other.

"Sorry!" the brown haired boy said breathlessly. He smiled and revealed a missing front tooth. Without waiting for a reply, he spun and ran to catch up with his friends. Jack watched the small group disappear into the crowd, a smile playing on his own lips.

At the last moment, just before he lost the last flying coat, Jack took off to follow the kids. They rounded a corner and dashed into a park. The teen followed, surprised to see the grassy area in the middle of the city. There was a small grove of trees and a playground. The kids were gathering around the slide and all at once hollered "Not it!"

"Monty was last," a girl in a white hat said. "You're it, Monty!"

Monty, a boy with glasses, closed his eyes and started counting loudly as the other kids giggled and headed for hiding places. Jack slipped around the playground and flew into the branches as soon as he was out of sight to observe. He slipped off his shoes to better grip the branches he traveled on with his toes and left his backpack hanging on a branch well out of reach and hidden. Monty finished his counting and began hunting for the others, quickly finding the larger girl and the twins. The boy who'd run into Jack and the white-hatted girl were clearly visible to Jack from his vantage point, huddled low at the top of a tall spiral slide.

Monty exhausted his other options and began the march up the slide. The boy and girl heard their friend's approach and waited until the last moment before taking off down the slide. The peals of laughter made Jack's smile broaden and he leaned against the tree trunk, content to watch the fun from between the branches. It was a nice distraction from his hunger.

Monty eventually caught the pair and the larger girl—Cupcake—became the next "it". The kids split and this time the twins and the brown haired boy dashed for the woods. Jack followed quietly from his high vantage point, skipping from branch to branch easily. The boy and the twins separated, Jack continuing to follow the brown haired boy.

The youth finally decided to hide behind a large tree, plastering to the side and snickering as he peered around the tree for his seeking friend. Jack shook his head and squatted on his branch. His staff was balanced across his knees, pulsing lightly. A snap of a twig nearby attracted Jack and the boy's attention to Cupcake who was quickly nearing the boys' location. Jack jumped down to the lowest branch above the boy and used his staff to tap him on the shoulder. Jack put a finger to his lips to keep quiet, shooting a look at the approaching Cupcake. He motioned for the kid to grab onto his staff and after a moment's hesitation he complied, stepping into the crook and Jack pulled him up to the branch before Cupcake had a chance to notice him.

The pair stayed quiet until Cupcake had wandered out of earshot. They shared a grin and fought to keep their laughter low. "Thanks," the boy whispered. He frowned and then realized where he'd seen Jack. "I ran into you, didn't I?"

Jack nodded. He double checked to make sure he wasn't making skin contact with his staff. The glowing eyes and staff were things he didn't want to try and explain. "Name's Jack. . .son. Jackson."

"Jamie." The brown haired boy smiled, ignoring or not noticing Jack's hesitation. "Um, how did you get up here?"

"I used a different tree." Only a partial lie. "And then I walked over the branches."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Watch." Jack stood and gracefully moved to the next tree. He turned and grinned back at Jamie. "Easy."

"Cool! I'm going to try. Hold on." Jamie stood from where he'd been sitting next to the trunk and scrunched his eyebrows in concentration before following Jack across the gap. His legs were shorter and the cross was more of a jump, but Jack steadied him before there was any danger.

"Nice! You're a natural." Jack led the way through the trees, careful to make sure the limbs were strong enough and the gaps were doable for his smaller companion. Soon the pair were laughing and forgot the game of hide-and-seek until multiple kids were calling Jamie's name.

"Oops, I forgot we were playing. Guess I won." Jamie grinned at Jack.

"You should probably get back." Jack led the way towards the exit to the small grove. "Elevator up, elevator down." Jack held the staff out so Jamie could step into the crook, his shirt sleeves pulled down to avoid skin contact still. He carefully lowed the boy until he could jump from the crook without injuring himself.

"Thanks!" Jamie called with a wide grin. "Are you going to come play with us?"

Jack blinked in surprise for a moment. "I, uh, yeah. Sure!"

"Awesome!" Jamie ran out of the trees, calling to his friends.

Jack was about to jump down when sirens cut through the air. His head snapped in the direction of the sound. He chewed his lower lip as he hesitated. He wanted to stay and play with the kids, but he knew that he needed to take every chance he could to find the Guardians. With a sigh, he grabbed his sweatshirt from his backpack and placed his hat inside. It would be safe until he returned for it later. "Sorry, Jamie. Maybe I'll see you later," he said even though the boy was nowhere within earshot.

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><p><strong>Yoyo! I'm getting back on schedule.<strong>

**Sort of.**

**So here's a quick chapter. I would have put in more, but I didn't want to cut the next part in half and what not. Hopefully get the next chap up by Thursday! (fingers crossed)**

**Yay for Jamie!**

**Read and review if you care to : )**

**~abrokencastiel**


	13. Not What He'd Planned

**I don't own ROTG.**

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><p>It appeared to be another hold up, this time at a small convenience store. Only one squad car had arrived so far, and the officer was busily talking into his radio. He'd turned off his siren and lights a few blocks away, but from what Jack could see in the store the crook already knew. The shop owner was facing the back, his hands raised.<p>

The officer finished his radio call and cautiously walked toward the store, his hand on his gun. Jack had landed on the street and moved to get a better view of the store, his hood pulled up over his hair. People were beginning to notice the beginnings of a commotion and were stopping. The gathering crowd made Jack nervous after the last incident where someone recognized him and with only slight hesitation he slipped into the store himself.

"Store's closed. Please exit immediately," the officer said as Jack stepped in. He didn't spare a glance at Jack, he was too focused on the robber.

"No! Nobody leaves," the robber ordered.

It took only a moment for Jack to take the scene in. The bug-eyes store owner was behind the counter. The officer had his gun raised on the robber. The man had his own gun, but it was pointed at a boy around Jack's age. The teen was wearing an apron and name tag that deemed him an employee.

"Put down your gun," the cop ordered.

"I don't think you're in the position to be giving orders," the man said with a shake of his head. He wasn't wearing anything to cover his face and Jack could see the sweat on his upper lip from across the store.  
>The tension was making the air stiff and Jack knew it wasn't going to end well. He slowly began moving into the nearest aisle.<p>

"Sir, just let the boy go."

"I'm not an idiot. As soon as I let him go you'll shoot."

"No, I won't."

"I know how this works," the man continued like the officer hadn't spoken. "You're just saying that. This kid is the only thing protecting me." He was brandishing the gun almost wildly, but always pointed toward the boy.

"Sir, I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Ten you put down your gun!" He laughed humorlessly when the officer didn't comply. "How am I supposed to trust you if you won't trust me?"

Jack was close now, having moved soundlessly around the aisles of packaged food. He was in the aisle directly to the side of the robber, who suddenly seemed to realize the latest arrival was no longer by the door.

"Where'd the kid go?" The man looked around crazily, head whipping until his eyes settled on Jack. "Trying to sneak up on me? Trying to trick me?" He turned so his hostage was partially blocking from Jack and the police.

"No, I assure you I don't know who he is."

"My name is Jack. I just want to help." Jack put his hands up and slowly lowered his staff to the ground. "See? I don't mean anything."

The robber frowned, confused.

The officer looked over at Jack. "Please step back."

But Jack couldn't. Because by moving to face Jack better, the gunman had turned his back fully on the store owner. The store owner who had reached underneath the counter and pulled out a handgun.

"No!" Jack cried, instinctively grabbing his staff and running forward.

Time slowed.

The robber's eyes widened, his gun moved from the teen to Jack. The officer yelled something at someone. The owner was aiming the gun.

Jack fell to his knees to get out of the robber's range, sliding on the smooth floor. He struck his staff on the ground. A sheet of frost and ice spread across the floor speedily, snaking up the racks of goods as it headed for the three gunmen. The first to go down was the cop, the slick ice catching at his feet until he fell hard on his side. His gun went off and hit the teen held by the robber. The boy cried out and jerked. The robber was surprised by the movement and let the boy fall. His gaze turned back to Jack, who had slid close enough on his own ice to swing his staff up, knocking the gun away before knocking the crook down where the ice covered him across the chest and arms. Across the store, the sheet of ice became a stalagmite that shot up at the owner's hand. He screamed as the sharp ice went through his palm.

Jack stood, looking in shock at what he'd done. The owner still screamed, staring at his hand. Jack didn't know how to help. He didn't know how to dissolve the ice. The boy was sobbing on the ground, his leg bleeding onto the ice and melting it in splotches. The cop began to struggle to his feet, a hand on his head where he'd hit the ground. Outside, the backup he had called in for was pulling up.

It felt like the ice had crawled up Jack's bare feet. He didn't think he could move.

The cop finally stood. He blinked at the chaos before him and the skinny teen in the blue hoodie with the glowing staff. He immediately steadied his gun. "Put it down."

Jack's breath caught at the change of events. His hand tightened on the staff and the blue glow increased with his fear. At his feet, the boy continued to cry.

"Put it down," the cop repeated. Outside there were cops jogging toward the door.

Jack put his free hand up and bent like he was going to put his staff down. He waited until the cops opened the door, then he jumped on his staff and flew straight for the exit. The shock of the suddenly flying form did its job, making the cops duck and dodge out of the way. Jack's escape wasn't missed by anyone on the street. He closed his eyes to shut out the stares, but the cries of surprise and anger from the cops echoed in his ears.

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><p>Tiana had originally been told not to come, that it was a simple hold up that the police could handle. She'd accepted the news, needing to continue her studies for the DAT. The test, meant for admittance to dental school, was coming up rapidly and she was worried she wouldn't be prepared between her duties as superhero and university student. So when she got the call that there had been an issue and the Guardians were needed, she had grudgingly pulled herself away from her books to don her Tooth costume and rush to the scene. As the fastest of the Guardians, it was only natural she got there first.<p>

When she arrived, they were wheeling a teenage boy out on a gurney, a bloody towel pressed to bloodier pant leg. Tiana rushed to the paramedic's side. "What happened?"

"Got shot. Bullet missed the femoral so he should be okay as long as we get the bullet out. The other guy is going to be in worse shape. Be careful in there! It's slick," the man warned as Tiana turned toward the store.

He was right. Tiana almost fell before she got her feet under her. The entire store was covered in tendrils of frost and ice that seemed to still be growing even as she watched. Behind the cash register, a whimpering man was surrounded by paramedics and police officers. Another was iced to the floor and a couple of police were standing over him and talking on a radio, requesting heaters and picks to get him out. One was trying to crack the ice with the butt of his gun.

Tiana turned her attention to the man behind the register. She gasped when she saw the ice was stained with streaks of blood down the sides. The point went all the way through his hand and she could only imagine the damage it had done to the bones and ligaments. She shuddered involuntarily.

"Didn't think blood bothered you," an Australian accent said quietly.

Tiana forced a small smile in greeting. "Not the blood that gets to me." She held up a hand partially covered by green feathers. "Without my hands I would be in a lot of trouble. More off a sympathy worry."

Bunny nodded in understanding.

The other two Guardians were behind him. North surveyed the ice and nodded. "This is nice work. Very beautiful." He motioned to a close spiral of frost that curled delicately over the wrappers of candy bars.

"Yeah, if by good work you mean capable of putting two people in the hospital," Bunny chided.

"Three," Tiana corrected. "There was a boy who was shot."

"The boy who makes the frost?"

"I don't believe so. I haven't gotten much information yet." Tiana asked a nearby officer for directions on who they should talk to and the group was pointed to an officer who was holding an icepack to his head and seated on the curb outside.

"We are told you have answers for us, yes?" North asked, taking the role of interrogator.

The officer sighed and glanced up at the heroes. "I sure hope it'll make sense to you guys. Because if it doesn't then I really am crazy."

"Go on, mate," Bunny said in one of his few speaking moments.

"Well, it was a normal enough call," the officer began. He recounted the events normally until the entrance of the blue hooded teen. "He just walked in and I just assumed he was listening to music or on his phone or something and wasn't paying attention when he walked in. I didn't even look at him at first. But then he snuck over toward the crook and started talking to him. He said his name was Jack and that he didn't want to hurt him." The officer shook his head. "And then all Hell broke loose. The store owner had a gun and he pulled it out. Then the kid with the staff sent out this sheet of ice. Just—" He spread his arms. "Everywhere. All this ice. It made me slip and I. . ." He put his head in his hands and Tiana sat next to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I shot the hostage."

"He's going to be fine," she assured.

"Please continue," North encouraged.

"Well, I was down for a second. When I looked back up, the owner had that ice spear through his hand and the crook was frozen over. And the Jack kid was standing there with this glowing staff. I told him to put it down, and then he took off. Literally. Flew through the door and out on his staff."

"Did you get a look at him?" Tiana asked.

"Not besides the hoodie. It was too low over his face." The cop frowned. "And the fact he had no shoes."

"He was barefoot?" North asked.

"Yeah."

"Interesting. And his name was Jack?" North chuckled.

Sandy frowned and cocked his head in a questioning manner.

"Is nothing. Just, well, he is Jack Frost." North laughed again. "The winter sprite."

Tiana rolled her eyes, but smiled.

A commotion at the storefront attracted the Guardians attention. The paramedics were leading the two men out. The crook was in handcuffs, but was shaking so badly and his lips were so blue Tiana doubted he could have put up any fight. The store owner followed behind, his hand heavily bandaged.

North motioned and the Guardians moved to the side. They stood silently for a moment, each in their own thoughts.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Bunny asked, ever the impatient one.

"Yes. What are we going to do," North said more to himself.

Sandy looked between the two with concern.

"Do you really think he meant to hurt these people?" Tiana asked.

North shook his head along with Bunny and Sandy. "No. I do not think he meant to, but he did do it."

Sandy sighed soundlessly and made a few hand motions.

"I agree. There have been too many accidents with this kid that have ended with people gettin' hurt."

"There have only been two incidents," Tiana pointed out.

"There have been four hospital worthy injuries," Bunny countered. "And he needs to answer for what he did to the Warren."

"Oh, right. Sorry I couldn't help." Tianna smiled apologetically

"Yeah, yeah. Whateve'. We got most of it clean. But it's an awful big coincidence that he's hurt people and vandalized our places. He actually broke into the Workshop, remember?"

"This Jack Frost is not to be taken lightly. He is strong and he knows how to use his strength," North said.

"And he can fly," Tiana said with a slightly jealous tone.

Bunny crossed his arms "We need to make a game plan for how we're going to catch this kid."

"Agreed." North nodded solemnly.

* * *

><p><strong>Yoohoo!<strong>

**What is to the up? Ok, so a day later than I thought it would be, but also a lot longer than I thought it would be. Give and take, ya?**

**Anywho, thanks for reading, reviewing, liking, and what not you are all so wonderful and I don't deserve you! Also, FRIDAY! WOOT**

**~abrokencastiel**


	14. And So They Meet

**I don't own any of the Guardians. That is why I drink.**

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><p>"Any news on where the kid went?" Aster talked into his watch, steering Sophie with one hand as he sped toward his next delivery.<p>

"Phil is examining the footage from security and traffic cameras. It is taking while." North sighed and Aster could hear the grumbling of Phil in the background. "I know you are working as fast as you can," North said to his disgruntled apprentice. "I just wish it would be faster."

Aster rolled his eyes as he deftly veered around traffic. "Just keep me posted. I don't wanna let this kid be out there alone longer than he needs to be. Who knows what sort of mess he could get into."

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><p>Jack almost went to Myra's, but it didn't feel safe. If he could do <em>that<em> to someone he didn't trust himself around her. Instead he headed straight for Burgess and the safety of an empty house. He touched down on the porch and immediately tendrils of frost began spreading across the wood where his staff touched.

The bedroom door was shut behind him and he flew himself onto the bed. Again, the frost spread from him and his staff. He threw it across the room where it clattered across the floor and dimmed. His heart raced in his chest as he curled into a ball on top of the comforter. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to forget the bright red across his ice.

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><p>Tiana didn't notice her watch ringing for almost five minutes, she was so into the practice test she was taking. It was extremely important she get all forty of the biology questions done in thirty minutes in order to stay on track, and she had a bad habit of using a full thirty-seven minutes. When she finally noticed the buzzing, she seriously considered letting it go. But the guilt over abandoning the group earlier when they cleaned the Warren and the draw of possible information on Jack Frost finally got her to lay down her pencil and click the device.<p>

"Tooth here."

"'Bout time you picked up," Aster's voice came over the radio. "Phil and North have found somethin'."

Tiana immediately perked up. "About Jack Frost?"

"Seems like it. They want us to head over now."

"I'll meet you at the Workshop."

* * *

><p>An hour later the Guardians were all gathered in North's Workshop. The Guardian had pulled up security footage on a monitor above his fireplace and they were following the path of Jack Frost over the city.<p>

"Did he just go in a straight line?" Aster frowned.

"Seems that way." North nodded.

"Doesn't even look like he's trying to hide," Tooth frowned.

"We lose sight of him near the edge of the city." North nodded at Phil who fast forwarded to the last image they had.

Aster squinted at the blurry image of the hooded figure. "Where's he headed to?"

"That is difficult to tell. He could be anywhere, yes?" North tapped the side of his nose. "At least, would be difficult for lesser man." He pulled up a map of the city on the screen. "Jack appears to be following a straight line in his flight." A trajectory line appeared across the map. "Now, there is no obvious place for him to be staying unless he is housing with a family in this part of town."

"Unlikely with his manners."

"Aster," Tooth reprimanded while Sandy shook his head.

Aster rolled his eyes but quieted down.

"Since is unlikely, we expand our search." The map zoomed out and revealed the surrounding country side.

"Is he livin' in the forest?"

"Not quiet." North zoomed in on a section and the pixelated image smoothed into what looked like an abandoned mansion.

"What's that?" Tooth asked.

"That, my friends, is Burgess. An old mansion that is currently uninhabited. I believe that is where our Jack Frost is."

Sandy looked around and nodded, pointing up and then to his watch.

"Sandy is right. We have enough sunlight we could get him today." Aster stood and cracked his knuckles. "So let's go."

* * *

><p>Jack didn't move from his curled position despite the fact he was stiff and starving. He couldn't sleep because he couldn't close his eyes. Every time he did the convenience store scene filled his vision, forcing him to relive it again and again. Time moved without him realizing it. All he knew was that there was still light. The day was taking too long to end.<p>

The noise of the front gate clanking made Jack jerk into a sitting position. He froze and listened silently. He had never opened the gate. It hadn't moved the entire time he'd been awake. There was no way it was moving on its own now. Sure enough, the front door was opening.

Jack scrambled off the bed, bare feet silent as he crossed the wood floor. He could hear movement below him and mumbling voices. He bent to grab his staff, but hesitated a moment. What if it happened again? But he couldn't think like that. He shook his head and grabbed the staff firmly. He was not afraid. Blue lights illuminated the staff from top to bottom brightly, but he quickly calmed the glow as much as he could without losing it completely.

The footsteps were climbing the stairs now. Frantically, Jack looked around for a place to hide and his eyes settled on the closet. He dove in just as the footsteps reached his bedroom door.

"Swear I heard somethin'."

"You were probably mistaken. Is old house."

"Sandy! Don't say it was a rat! Eek! What if it was?"

"Calm down there, Toothy. We won't let any rats get to ya."

The door opened and Jack slid farther back in the closet, peering through the crack in the doors. He put a hand over his mouth to stifle the gasp when he saw all four Guardians in the doorway. What did they want?

"See, empty. No rats."

"Ah! But look!" North moved to the bed and pointed at the frost tendrils that still covered the comforter. "Frost!"

"He musta just been here."

The golden-haired Sandman nodded and made a few quick motions.

"Probably did scare him off." Tooth nodded. "We were a little loud."

"Well, if there hadn't been ice booby-trappin' the front door I wouldn't have fallen," Bunny said, rubbing his behind.

Jack allowed himself a smile. He felt bad, but it didn't mean it wasn't funny.

"Alright. So. He is gone." North rubbed his chin in apparent thought. "Now, where have you gone, Jack Frost."

This time Jack couldn't help the noise that escaped his mouth. Instantly, Bunny was across the room and flung open the door to the closet, dragging the teen out and grabbing the staff from his hand before Jack could react.

"Gotcha!" he cried triumphantly as he held Jack by the elbow.

"Ah! There you are. We've been looking all over!"

Jack blinked at the Guardians without saying a word. They were in complete costume and they were just as awe-inspiring as when he'd seen them on the steps of the bank.

Bunny tossed the staff to Sandy who held it delicately, carefully looking at the now lightless black.

"Hey! That's mine!" The level of uncomfort Jack felt having someone else hold his staff was unsettling.

"Not now."

"Don't worry, we won't keep it from you," Tooth assured, shooting Bunny a glance. "We just don't want you running off."

"You will not leave without it, yes?" North took the staff from Sandy who looked slightly annoyed to have the object removed from him.

"Not like I have a choice." Jack glared at the quartet. "What do you guys want from me?"

"We just want to talk," Tooth said soothingly.

"About?"

"Oh, I think you know what about, mate. About that stunt you pulled back at the convenience store."

"I was just trying to help." Jack looked between the Guardians. "Honestly. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"The man's hand was badly injured. As was the boy," North said. Sandy had taken the staff back.

"I didn't know I would hit his hand and the boy wasn't my fault! The police guy shot him."

"Because you made him fall," Bunny pointed out.

"Not on purpose!" Jack yanked his arm out of the Australian's grip and crossed his arms defensively. "The clerk was going to shoot the robber and I just. . . I lost control. I just wanted to stop anyone from getting hurt."

"Fine job you did."

"Aster!"

"Hey! No using real names around non-Guardians, missy. Especially when I don't even know your name. You're gettin' as bad as North." Bunny raised his gasmask, revealing a deep frown and grey hair that clashed with his young face.

Jack noticed Sandy was desperately trying to get the other Guardians' attention, but the three were now arguing over secret identities, almost like they had completely forgotten Jack was there. The golden man was waving the staff and his hands, but his diminutive stature made it easy for the Guardians to overlook him, literally.

"They do this often?" Jack asked him. Sandy sighed and nodded his head wearily, running a hand over his face. "Here." Jack offered a hand and Sandy gave him back the staff without hesitation. Jack greatly appreciated the trust. He spun the staff once before slamming it down on the floor. Instantly the blue light intensified and frost shot out in all directions, distracting the Guardians from their argument.

"Sandy, why'd you give him the staff back?" Bunny asked with a perturbed look.

"He was trying to get your attention. He has something to say. Err, sign," Jack corrected.

Sandy nodded thankfully at Jack before going into a set off elaborate hand motions. Jack had no idea what the man was trying to say, but the other Guardians seemed to understand him perfectly.

"You are serious? Is his handiwork?" North motioned to Jack's staff and Jack subconsciously tightened his hold on it.

Sandy nodded fervently.

"That means he had something to do with this." Tooth looked wide-eyed at Jack.

"What?" Jack frowned.

"Manny. Or MiM. Or the Man in the Moon. Whichever you prefer. That—" Bunny pointed at the staff "—is his design."

"Well, yeah. I guess I assumed so." Jack shrugged.

There was a moment of silence as all Guardians stared at him open mouthed.

"Something wrong?"

"You know about Manny?" North asked.

"Well, yeah." Jack frowned. "Didn't you know I knew?"

"No, we had no idea." Tooth shook her head.

"So you don't know about me?"

"Not before you showed up in the city," Bunny answered.

Even Sandy shook his head solemnly.

"But, you knew my name. When you walked in. You said my name."

North frowned. "Jack Frost?"

"Yes! That's what the Man in the Moon called me." Jack dashed across the room and grabbed the note off the side table. "Look. 'Jack Frost.' Right there."

North took the note and read it carefully with a furrowed brow, the other Guardians leaning over to get a look for themselves. "This is Manny's handwriting," North conceded. "But I did not know your name."

"The police officer at the store heard you say your name was Jack," Tooth explained. "We came up with the Frost on our own."

"So you guys have no idea who I am either." Jack let his head droop as he sat on the bed.

Bunny raised an eyebrow. "You don't know who you are?"

"The first thing I remember is waking up in this place. Before that, nothing. I thought you guys might have answers."

"So that is why you try to break into Workshop." North nodded in understanding. "Apologies that Phil was not more gracious host."

Jack cracked a smile. "I think I scared him." A thought crossed Jack's mind and he jumped again to his feet, startling Sandy who had been starting to doze. "If you guys know Manny, then you can take me to see him!"

The Guardians all exchanged a look before Sandy slowly shook his head no.

"Why not? Is it because I hurt people? Really, I didn't mean to—"

"No, no. Is not that. Is more that we do not know where Man in Moon is."

"He went missing a few months back. Haven't heard from him at all. Tried lookin' but we never found a lead." Bunny ran a hand over his neck. "Truth be told, we were sort of hoping you would have some sort of idea as to what happened to him."

Jack's blue eyes, that had been glowing brightly with excitement, dimmed as he settled back on the bed. Silence pervaded the room as the Guardians stared at the still teen.

Tooth moved over and knelt in front of him, peering up at his face. "Are you okay?"

Surprise crossed Jack's face at the kind question, but he quickly hid it with a grin. "Yeah. Can't miss what you can't remember." He stood and swung his staff over his shoulder. "So, I take it you guys have already given yourselves a tour of my home sweet home?"

"Enough of a tour that I want," Tooth said with a worried glance in a corner, like a rat would jump out at her.

"Don't worry, I have yet to see an animal." Jack laughed but was interrupted by his rumbling stomach. "There's not enough food here to keep even a mouse satisfied. You guys don't happen to have any food, do you? Haven't eaten since yesterday."

"No food!" North seemed extremely off put by this, bringing both hands to the sides of his furry cap. "Princess Anastasia! Is no good. Come, sleigh is parked little ways away. We all fly together to Workshop and have big dinner." He quickly ushered the small group down the hall and out the door.

Jack was careful to close the doors and the gate as they left. He didn't let his staff touch anything they passed. He was regaining some of his confidence, but it wasn't quite where it had been. They arrived at the sleigh and everyone piled in, Bunny squeezing as far down as he could in the side car.

"Sorry there is not seat for you," North apologized. "Perhaps Bunny could scoot over to give room."

Jack laughed at the look of terror on the Australian's face before waving off the offer. "I have my own ride." He shot into the air swiftly, easily transitioning to his skateboarder style of flying. Below him the Sleigh kicked to life and rose into the air. "Race you there, North!"

"Ha! You cannot beat the Sleigh!" North gunned the engine and the vehicle jerked forward almost as fast as Jack was flying.

The terrified yell of Bunny could be heard across the countryside.

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><p><strong>And there is your next installment!<strong>

**Yay for being timely. Will try to update again before the week is out!**

**Thanks for reading this! It means a lot.**

**~abrokencastiel**


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